Chapter 2

Then, on her birthday, when she turned 18, Bob told her he didn't want to wait another day.

It had been a fantastic birthday party.

He had taken her to the only place she ever wanted to go, McDonald's. He had arranged with the owner to use the kids birthday party room.

He had given the owner one-thousand dollars to fix up the room and Bob had ordered an Ice Cream Cake to be delivered. It was to be delivered at the end of the dinner. Of course Bob as usual had a surprise in store for Mandy.

It was a candle light dinner. Something the staff at McDonald's had never done before and of course, they had never done it for adults either. But the owner was told not to spare the expense and rearrange the room so there was just one table there.

Decked out in a McDonald's kiddie table cloth and a Kid's Meal at Mandy's place was just there as a joke. The candle in the center of the table was lit waiting for them to arrive.

When they arrived, they stood in line and Mandy chose her old favorite, a Number 1 Value Meal: A Double Quarter Pounder With Cheese, Fires and a Coke, S-U-P-E-R—S-I-Z-E-D, as Bob liked to say.

Then Bob surprised Mandy. He went up to the Birthday Room. It had a big sign on it, "Private Party."

Mandy held back, telling Bob, that there was for a private party and headed toward a nearby table.

Bob laughed and told her that it was them! They were the "Private Party!"

They went into the room Mandy squealed and bounced with glee. Jumping. Twirling around. Laughing. To Bob, seeing that alone was worth it.

Just seeing her happy. Bubbling with laughter and smiling that broad smile, made the day for him.

The expense didn't matter. It was for his love. It was for Mandy.

When Bob got to the table he set down the tray with their dinners, Mandy just leaped into his arms.

She locked her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist and kissed him, saying over and over, "I Love YOU!"

Bob took his hands and with one, held it under her bottom to give her support and the other hand, he stroked her head, saying as often as he could, "I love you Mandy!" back to her.

Mandy tried to think back to when she had her last birthday party and it must have been when she was twelve, because her father was there. He mother told her that birthdays were over after her father had died. No more parties the next year or ever again.

Her mind drifted back to that evening. It had been perfect.

She knew that it didn't have to be McDonald's, but that it really was the only place. It was a natural. It was "Their Place."

They even had their own "Waiter" who kept asking if they wanted refills on anything. He even asked if either of them wanted anything else like apple or cherry pies for dessert.

Mandy had finished her serving of fries and was munching on the remainder of Bob's. He slapped her hand lightly away from his fries saying, "MINE!"

"NO!" Mandy corrected him, "OURS!"

"Is that what you really want?" he asked her.

"What's mine is yours and what yours is mine. It's all 'OURS!'

"Yes, that's what I want," she said very firmly and with a stern and tough look on her face. Jutting out her lower jaw to emphasize her remark she made her face look even more stern.

"Sounds good to me," Bob just said to her.

Mandy quickly changed her frown to a smile. Before she could say anything, the manager poked his head in and told them the cake had arrived.

"Cake?" Mandy said as she perked up.

Bob didn't say a thing as the manager brought in the white ice cream cake ablaze with 18 candles.

Mandy laughed and giggled as the cake was placed in front of her.

Bob told her to blow out the candles and make a wish.

She closed her eyes for a second, took a deep breath and blew out the candles in one sweep.

The manager told her, "Good job," and handed her a knife to cut the cake.

Mandy took the knife and as she started it toward the cake, Bob told her to remove the candles first. Then he told her to look very closely at the cake.

As was her custom when anything nice happened to her, she let pools rise up in her eyes, ran over to Bob and kissed him. "I haven't EVER had an Ice Cream Birthday Cake before!

"Thank you so much! I love you!"

She kissed Bob again and sat down in her seat across the table from Bob. Looking at the cake between something caught her eye.

In the center of the cake there was something sparkling. The candle on the table was not too bright, but the center of the cake did sparkle. She leaned over to try to get a better look at it.

She was looking at the center of the cake. Distracting her, Bob simply asked her if she had read the inscription on the cake.

Mandy drew back and read the inscription:

"Mandy I Love You."

"Marry Me"

"NOW!"

Mandy's eyes welled up as Bob got up. He lifted the sparkle from the center of the cake, cleaned it by putting it in his mouth and knelt before Mandy.

"Please, my love. I don't want to wait a day longer. Please marry me ... Now!"

Then he held the sparkling engagement ring just beyond the end of her finger. As she pushed her finger toward the sparkling circle she softly answered. "Yes."

Bob slid the ring onto her finger, drew her lips to his and kissed her softly.