It's official - Mary Anne's father and Dawn's mother are getting married!

As Dad had arranged with the maitre d', our waiter announced that he would bring us dessert menus, but instead he brought - a cake! No one sang "Happy Birthday," thought, and I could tell Mrs. Schafer was relieved.

The cake was beautiful. The frosting was white with pink and blue flowers everywhere and on top were four candles. We all leaned over for a closer look, but after Mrs. Schafer had blown out the candles, she continued to peer at the cake.

"What is it?" asked Dawn.

Very slowly, her mother pulled out one candle and held up something that had been slipped over it onto the cake.

"Is this what I think it is?" she asked my father.

He nodded nervously.

Mrs. Schafer held the something up for Dawn and me to see.

It was a diamond ring.

"It's - it's an engagement ring," she told us. Then she turned to Dad. "I thought we agreed - no rings. We've both been through this marriage business before. We don't need new rings."

Dad shrugged. "I just couldn't help myself," he said, "especially since I couldn't even get you a school ring back in twelfth grade."

Mrs. Schafer leaned over and kissed my father on the cheek. As you can imagine, Dawn and I just gaped at them. Finally I managed to whisper, "You mean you're getting married?"

My father and Dawn's mother nodded.

Mary Anne and the Great Romance
Published by Scholastic Inc. 1996
ISBN: 059042498X