Of course, Ronny moved right in, taking my place just as he had planned all along. MP now rode to and from school with him instead of walking with Ted, Josh, and me, although she didn’t seem so happy. It was the blackest time of my life. I sat alone in the cafeteria and when other people joined me I was still alone. When I got home I’d cry for an hour, partly because it was over between MP and me, but also because I knew she was going to be hurt by this asshole.

As it turned out I didn’t have to wait long. Instead of telling her he was dumping her she walked to his car one afternoon at the close of school finding her place in the front seat occupied by some bimbo blonde. Worse, Ronny laughed at her, calling her “pathetic” and “loser” as he drove away. MP cried all the way home.
I was home deep in despair when the phone rang. My mom answered it and called me to the living room. “Jeremy, you need to go over and see MP. That Ronny just dumped her and she needs some support.”

“But, Mom, she broke my heart. I can’t! I just can’t!”

“Jeremy, she made a mistake and, yes, it did hurt you, but she has been your friend for years and right now she needs you. Just as important, you need to do this for yourself. Go.” There’s no real purpose in arguing with my mother. I dragged myself to MP’s house. I hadn’t been there for more than a month so I knocked on the door instead of just walking in as I had done before. Mrs. O’Brien answered the door. “Thank you for coming, Jeremy. I tried to warn her about this boy, but she just wouldn’t listen. She’s in her room.” I nodded and walked hesitantly to see her.

I opened the door to find MP lying on the bed face down, crying her eyes out. I sat on the bed putting my hand on her shoulder. I didn’t say a word. MP looked up and cried even harder. I pulled her up, put my arms around her and pushed her head down to my chest. She tried to speak between sobs. “Oh…Jeremy…I should…have listened…to…my…mother. I’m so sorry. I know I hurt you. I’m so…sorry.”

“You forgot something I told you when you learned I was a wizard, MP. I told you I could always tell when someone was lying. Ronny said he was an “A” student—lie; homecoming king—lie; star athlete—lie. The only things he said that weren’t lies were when he said you were beautiful. That was the truth.” I paused to give MP my hankie so she could blow her nose. I continued when she had finished. “I knew you were lying when you told me that nothing had happened between you and Ronny. Have you looked at your locket lately? Open it now.”

She looked at me questioningly but pulled it over her head. When she opened it the heart was in a million pieces. “That’s what you did to my heart. What you’re going through isn’t even one-tenth what I’ve had to endure.” Now MP really started to cry. I closed the locket and put it back over her head.

“Oh, Jeremy, can you ever forgive me?” She fell to her knees, clasping her hands as if in prayer. “Please, Jeremy, can’t we just go back to the way things were?”

“Tell me what happened that night, MP. I need to know what happened. I’ll explain why later.”

She started slowly. “I knocked on the door. He opened it and showed me to his room. There was nobody else at home; that made me nervous. He began with a lot of compliments about how pretty and sexy I was. Stupid me, I believed him. When he tried to kiss me I thought, ‘What’s the big deal, it’s only one kiss’. Well, one led to another and then I couldn’t stop him. He pulled my blouse off and mauled my tits. You know I like it rough, but this was too much. He pushed himself between my legs and fucked me. It was over in about thirty seconds and he didn’t do anything for me. I felt dirty but I wanted to believe that I was a girl he really wanted. He did it again before I left. I’m sorry I lied to you, Jeremy. I was afraid to tell you the truth. Then he started again with his compliments and everything and he was so sweet in front of the other kids that I thought maybe I was wrong. But I wasn’t. He embarrassed me in front of a whole group of kids. I was mortified. What am I going to do?”

“You’re going on with life just as I have for the last month. The difference is that I lost someone I truly loved; you only lost some of your dignity.”

“Jeremy, can’t we go back to the way we were—boyfriend and girlfriend?”

“I don’t know, MP, I’ll always be your friend, but I don’t know if I can be your boyfriend again.” I got up and left. When I got home Mom knew it hadn’t gone well. She didn’t have to be a witch to read the expression on my face.

“What are you going to do, Jeremy?

“I don’t know yet, Mom, but I can tell you this—he’s going to suffer for what he’s done to MP and me. The only difference is that he’s going to suffer more—much, much more.

“Jeremy!”

“Don’t Mom. This is something he deserves. He’s a predator who takes advantage of innocent people to feed his ego. When I finish with him he’ll be lucky to have any ego left.” I turned and climbed the stairs to my room.

Chapter 2

I sat at my desk and made a list. All the things that fed his ego were going to be destroyed. I just wanted to be sure I didn’t hurt anyone else in the process of destroying him. Oh, I could have electrocuted or burned him alive or even boiled him in oil, but I wanted him to suffer the humiliation MP and I had experienced at his hand. I would start early tomorrow morning.

We always have a police officer in front of our school to help kids and parents cross the road. He parks his car just before the crossing zone. I got up a half hour early so I could get there before Ronny drove up. When I saw him a quick spell gave me control of the car. I sped up, exceeding the speed limit by almost forty miles per hour and turned the car forcing a collision with the parked police car. The cop was really pissed and when he smelled Ronny’s breath Ronny would be in real trouble—driving without a license, DUI, damage to a city vehicle, and a kilo of pot in the glove compartment. All in all, a good start to a wonderful day.

The next day, after being bailed out of jail, Ronny was walking to school like the rest of us. He tried to hold MP’s hand, but she refused, preferring to stay by me. She didn’t try to hold hands but she was next to me and that was a big improvement. As we walked I invoked my second spell. By the time we reached the school his face and hands were covered in bloody pus-filled boils—so much for his good looks. No medical treatment was going to cure this ailment!

The following day while walking to school I had yet another idea. I whispered another simple spell. By the time we got to school his hair was falling out in clumps. He looked like a patchwork quilt. Then I had another idea. From then on every other word out of his mouth was going to be “Fuck.” I knew he was studying for an oral report he was due to give in English class today so this was going to be extremely interesting.

He stood before the class, boils, hair clumps, and all ready for his speech. “I fuck read fuck the fuck book fuck The fuck Old fuck Man fuck and fuck the fuck Sea.” The principal was called; Ronny was suspended–so far, so good. At lunch MP came to sit with me, something she had not done since we had split.

“Jeremy, I know you’re doing all this stuff to Ronny and I don’t blame you, but I hope he doesn’t find out. He’s awfully strong and he can be really mean.”

Actually, that gave me another idea. “MP, I want you to tell him I’m behind all his troubles. Tell him you don’t know how but you know I’m behind it.”

“But, Jeremy, he’ll try to hurt you. I know he’s furious about everything that’s happened. He’ll kill you.”

“Oh, he’ll try, MP, but he won’t hurt me. You know that. That will be almost the final humiliation—getting beaten by a nerd like me. Then I’ll be ready for the final part of my plan. Don’t say ‘no’ MP. You know I can make you if I want to. Just do it. You can call him after school.” MP wasn’t too happy, but she did it. Then she called me to let me know Ronny was going to kill me. Well, we all know he is going to try, don’t we?

I got up extra early so he’d find me at school where there’d be plenty of witnesses, including the cop at the crosswalk when he assaulted me and still got his ass kicked. Sure enough, about five minutes before the bell was to ring he drove up in his badly dented Mustang. Screaming at the top of his lungs he challenged me. I turned around and waved him on. He came with a tire iron. Even better, I thought—assault with a deadly weapon. I put a spell on the cop forcing him to wait until I summoned him. Now I was ready.

Ronny charged up the small hill with blood in his eyes. He reared back and swung, missing me by inches. He swung again and missed again. Over and over, in front of more than a hundred students and teachers, not to mention the cop, he swung at my head just missing every time. As he tired I figured it was time for me to go on the offensive. The next time he approached me I tripped him causing him to fall forward in a heap. I laughed and most of the onlookers joined me. “Here,” I said, “let me help you up.” He growled as the audience howled with laughter. He swung up, hoping to catch me in the groin, but I was too fast for him again. When his arm had passed me I swung out and caught him in his right eye with my fist. “Not only are you a shitty liar,” I shouted, “you’re an even shittier fighter.” Again everyone howled.

Now Ronny was totally enraged. With his eye closing from the growing bruise he had trouble seeing me. “Gee, Ronny, from what I hear that bruise is a lot bigger than your cock. MP told me she could barely tell you were even fucking her and anyone who could cum as fast as you did with her should certainly be able to catch a slowpoke like me.” I reached out and rapped the other eye, closing it quickly. It looked like he might throw the tire iron so I easily took it away from him. I wanted to hurt Ronny not some innocent bystander. I thought this had gone on long enough so I decked him, first with an uppercut to the gut and finally with a right cross to the jaw.

I summoned the cop. “I saw the whole thing. You had the right to defend yourself. He came after you with a deadly weapon, not to mention driving without a license. I just arrested this jerk earlier in the week. He cuffed Ronny, took the iron as evidence and drove him away to the station. Only one more step and I’d be finished.

MP rushed up to me afterward, the concern etched on her face. She saw our principal approaching behind me. I was about to be suspended for fighting. The fact that I was obviously defending myself from an unprovoked attack meant nothing. The school had a zero tolerance policy and I was going. MP called her mother and told her she was sick and she would be coming home with me. My mother and I used our telepathy to communicate on the way home. MP laughed, “I’m getting better at this. I’m picking up almost every other word. Maybe I have a future as a witch.” We went home and MP joined me in my room. We didn’t have sex; we didn’t even kiss but we did talk—a lot.

I returned to school the following Monday, knowing that Ronny was due to get bail and that he’d be back to get me. This time he’d find me at the mall, but he’d attack MP, not me. He wouldn’t hurt her, I’d see to that but he was going to be put away for a long time. I escorted MP to the mall right after school. We took the public bus; I saw Ronny’s car out the back window. We had just entered the mall when Ronny ran in behind her. He pulled her blouse from her body and ripped her bra, bruising her breasts. Ronnie grabbed them, screaming that she was the cause of all his problems. Somehow (magically?) his erect cock became exposed and his movements made it appear that he was trying to rape MP. I ran up behind him, getting him in a headlock. Now, normally that wouldn’t have done much good but a spell dropped him unconscious on the floor just as Security and the City Police arrived. There’d be no bail for this, his third offense in less than a week, one that included assault, attempted rape, and public lewdness in addition to the charges he’d built up last week. Even better, he’d be branded a sex offender for the rest of his lying scumbag life.

Chapter 3

MP and I were taken to the police station where we gave our statements and pressed charges. The detective told us he had never seen a case like this in his eighteen years on the force. He assured me that, under the circumstances, he’d be amazed if there was any bail, especially inasmuch as his attack on MP violated his existing bail. We even accepted an offer of a ride home in his police car.

I walked MP to her door but I couldn’t bring myself to kiss her. Instead, I told her what my mother had said to me when we first got involved, “MP, I love you something awful, but I don’t know if we should get involved again. You see, I will only be able to marry a witch, assuming, of course, that I ever meet one. If we get back together now I don’t know if I’ll be able to end it later. My heart was broken before, but now I feel it’s being crushed.” MP began crying but she reached up to kiss my cheek before running into her house.

I was home maybe a half hour enjoying a snack when the doorbell rang. When I answered it I recognized the asshole’s little sister, Alicia. “Um…I don’t think it’s such a great idea for you to be here. Things aren’t very good between our families just now.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I’m not mad at you, I’m glad. Somebody finally taught my asshole brother a lesson. Know why we moved here? Because Ronny, my father’s shining light, did a lot of the same crap where we used to live. Ronny has always been my father’s favorite. He couldn’t do anything wrong. He always got the best of everything; I always got the leftovers. Now maybe I’ll get some attention, although I doubt it. Oh, by the way, we’re moving again. Dad hates to be embarrassed.

“I do hope things work out for you.” She turned and walked away, a frown on her face. I uttered a spell that would make things better for her. Her dad would notice what a wonderful daughter he had and she’d have no trouble finding someone to love when she got older.

About a month later in early November I read in the morning newspaper that Ronny’s lawyer had reached a plea agreement with the district attorney. Most of the charges would be dropped in return for pleading guilty to the attempted rape. At most, he’d get ten years which would mean he could be out in five including time already served. A week later I read another story: in a rare move the trial judge, after reading through the case file, denied the plea agreement and ordered Ronny to stand trial on the full array of charges which could, if found guilty, result in between sixty and seventy-five years. I didn’t have anything to do with that. Honest!

Christmas came and went and in early January we returned to school. I was sitting in homeroom while the teacher droned on about some new student. When I looked up I could feel a shock run through my body. The young woman turned around, our eyes locking on each other. She was incredibly beautiful with straight black hair that came to her shoulders and emerald green eyes, high prominent cheekbones, and a body to die for. Nobody could blame me for staring. All the other guys were, too. The shock I was experiencing was something I’d only been told about—a mind meld, something that occasionally happened when people of magic met for the first time. The telepathic messages were passing between us at light speed. MP must have picked up some of them because she turned and looked at me obviously confused. This continued until she broke the bond telling the teacher she could find a seat. She walked down the aisle to sit next to me. “Hi, Jeremy,” she sent me telepathically.
 
“Hi, Amanda,” I replied. This time when MP turned around she had a big smile on her face—I had found a witch. I looked at her schedule and found that it paralleled mine with few exceptions. Speaking aloud, I told her, “Your schedule is almost exactly like mine. Would you like me to help you find your way around? I’m Jeremy.”

“Thanks, Jeremy, that would be swell. I’m Mandy.” And then telepathically, “great, that will give us plenty of time to talk and get acquainted.” We spent the day together and she even sat with me at lunch. I wasn’t surprised when MP joined us. I introduced them, commenting to Mandy that she could speak freely in front of MP. “We used to be an item and she knows all about me.” Mandy wrinkled her eyebrows as if to ask why so I continued. “We were in her room making love when her father interrupted us. I had to freeze him and, of course, I had to explain how I was able to do it.”

“I assume you took care of her ability to tell….”

I nodded in reply before continuing, “MP’s pretty good at telepathy; she’ll pick up almost half of what we say.”

“Jeremy has told me why we can’t continue to see each other so I’m thrilled he has met you. I love him but I want him to be happy,” MP interjected.

Tentatively I asked Mandy, “How old are you?

Getting serious Mandy replied, “I’m seventeen. I’ll be eighteen in April. Will you do what is required?”

Looking first at her and then at MP, I replied, “Yes, I will. I pledge myself to honor the ancient and timeless code.” I placed my hand palm down on the table. Mandy placed her hand on top of mine. “I accept your pledge.” I told MP I’d explain to her later as we walked home. The bell rang and we resumed our classes. I learned that Mandy lived on a street that was perhaps a five-minute walk from mine. We kissed briefly at the end of the day before I collected MP on the way home.

“Jeremy, can you tell me now? What was all that pledge stuff? And what was all the telepathy I was picking up?”

“Well, MP, let me think of the best way to explain to you. OK…you know that witchcraft as the unknowing public calls it is a very old practice. Some of the rituals would be considered sexist today, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have to be followed. A young witch must remain a virgin until the full moon after her eighteenth birthday. Then she must be deflowered by a wizard or warlock. If this does not happen she will lose her powers when she turns twenty-one. If she has sex before that specific full moon or if she doesn’t meet a wizard who will do it on the specified night, she’s done—no more powers. Furthermore, it has to be done outdoors, preferably on an old tree stump. The telepathy was a mind meld—basically like two computers swapping information.”
MP laughed before I continued, “I told you it was pretty archaic, but that’s the way it has to be.”

“I’m not surprised you agreed, Jeremy, she’s drop dead gorgeous and sexy, too. All the same, I wish it was me.”

“I’m sorry, MP, I’ve tried to explain. I think it’s time you moved on. We’ll still be closest friends.” I leaned down and kissed her cheek. It was time for us to separate. I walked in to tell my mother so, of course, she already knew, having picked up the power of the mind meld. I told her everything I had learned about Mandy and that I had pledged to deflower her in April as dictated by The Code.

“How did MP react?

“Well, Mom, she seemed happy for me, but I’ll never understand women so who really knows?”

That weekend I walked over to Mandy’s house to meet her parents and the rest of her family. They asked me if I knew a suitable place to fulfill the pledge. I told them that my uncle had a cottage in the mountains where I could take Mandy. I’d have my full driver’s license by then. I’d checked my computer and the full moon will be on a Friday night, April 7th so I could drive us after school and we could return on Saturday.

“Or, maybe even Sunday,” Mandy piped in turning red in embarrassment.

“Have you ever had sex before?” her father asked. I knew I had to be truthful so I was, “Yes sir, I used to have a steady girlfriend and we made love often. Will Mandy be on the pill or should I bring condoms?”

“I’ll be on the pill by then, Jeremy. I want to feel the entire experience. I’m sure it will be wonderful with you.”

I took Mandy’s brother aside. He had told me that he was in sixth grade. “You should look up Alicia Young. She’s in fifth grade at your school. I had a lot of trouble with her brother who’s now in jail and heading for a long prison term.” Reaching in my pocket I pulled out a small box of condoms, just in case he got lucky.

After that Mandy and I dated regularly. Things got a lot easier when my parents gave me a new car for in March—a belated birthday present, at least that’s what they told me. I was just glad it wasn’t a Mustang convertible. I started to drive MP and Mandy to school every day until MP told me she felt like a fifth wheel. Mandy, however, to her credit, insisted that MP join us. If we wanted to kiss we could do that after I dropped her off. On one such occasion Mandy asked me if we could go someplace private. I drove to the nearby state park. At this time of year it was virtually deserted. We walked along one of the woodland paths, my arm around her waist. Suddenly, she turned and pushed me against a nearby pine tree. She began to kneel as she opened my pants. “You’d think someone who looks like me would have a little experience, but I’ve never even done this and I want to try it before our big night.” By the time she had pulled out my cock I was harder than the tree I was leaning against. “Wow, Jeremy, is this going to fit in my pussy? I sure hope so. Wow, it sure is hard. Does it always get this hard and this big?”

“Not always, only when I’m with a beautiful sexy witch,” I replied with a laugh. Mandy stuck out her tongue and licked. Apparently satisfied, she licked again…and again until she was ready to try it in her mouth. For a self-professed amateur she did pretty damn well. She was turning me on big time. I was groaning really loudly and really fast when I felt it coming. “Mandy, I’m going to cum. If you don’t want it in your mouth you need to move now.” She didn’t move. Her eyes twinkled even more than before and she tried to smile even though her mouth was full of rock hard cock. “Mandy, I can’t stop it now. Uggggghhhhhh! I’m cumming. Oh, God, I’m cumming.” I shot eight times into her mouth. It had been so long since I’d had sex with anything but my hand that I came by the gallon, or so it seemed. White cum was dribbling down the corners of her mouth when I finished, exhausted and sweaty. I pulled Mandy up and kissed her, my cum mingling with our saliva.

When I broke the kiss I whispered in her ear. She smiled and followed me to the picnic area. We found a table in a secluded area where I seated her on the table while I sat on the bench between her legs. I kissed her knees and moved my way up her satiny smooth thighs. When I reached my destination I pulled the thin strip of her panties aside and licked. Her pussy was bare, cleaned of pubic hair with the exception of a narrow vertical strip just above her slit. I began working her pussy lips until they were red and swollen then I moved my attentions to her slit where I drank and drank of her nectar until I pushed my tongue into her. I found her G-spot and rubbed as hard as I could until I removed my tongue and replaced it with a finger. I rubbed that coarse area and found her hard button. It was as sensitive as could be and Mandy reacted as though she’d never cum before. She thrashed on the table squeezing my head between her thighs as her orgasm rolled over and over through her body. Eventually it ebbed and she returned to normal. “Wow, if I’d known having an orgasm would be so great I would have done it sooner.”

“Mandy, are you telling me that was your first orgasm? Didn’t you ever masturbate or have a boyfriend?”

“No, Jeremy, that was and you are my first. And with luck you’ll be my last.”

“I’m hoping for that, too, Mandy. I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”

“Even when you had MP? She’s pretty hot.”

“Yes, even then. I knew way back that I needed to be with a witch. My mom reminded me almost every day that while we were having a lot of fun it couldn’t be anything permanent.” I sat next to her and we kissed a long lingering kiss of love.

Time passed much too slowly for me and for Mandy, too. We both wanted each other we weren’t sure we could wait for the full moon. Finally, it arrived and I made arrangements with my uncle to use his cottage. I drove Mandy there, stopping for some food and drink at the nearby town first. I showed her the cottage; she was mostly interested in where we would sleep although it was obvious she didn’t plan to sleep too much. We walked out back. There was a clearing where we could see the sky and an old table with several chairs. I pulled up the table top to reveal a big old tree stump that was used as a base. I cleaned it as best I could while explaining that I’d use a blanket tonight.

I grilled some steaks and baked a few potatoes for our dinner. We ate what should have been a relaxing dinner but the truth was we were both nervous as hell. I threw the paper plates in the trash. Because of the bears we’d be taking the trash home with us. We went back inside and I asked her if she wanted a shower before….

“OK,” she answered, “but only if you plan to join me.” I undressed her very slowly taking plenty of time to savor my prize. Mandy’s body was flawless—curvy where it should be and flat in the other places. Her breasts were bigger than MP’s, but just as firm. Her ass was round but muscular. She had a narrow waist and full hips. Between her legs was a delightful space specially reserved for my cock. Once naked she began to remove my clothes. I couldn’t get out of them fast enough. I adjusted the water while she was familiarizing herself with my cock and we stepped into the shower together.

We became quiet as we contemplated what we were about to do and we washed each other slowly, stretching out the task as a means of wasting time. We couldn’t do anything before midnight and by then the tension would be intolerable. After we had dried off Mandy and I donned robes. These would have to do until the appointed hour. I had told MP about some of the age old practices that no longer made sense and now we encountered an additional one. Mandy was required to wear a ceremonial gown. It didn’t matter what I wore, but if she didn’t wear the required gown there’d be trouble. I reached out for my mother and she sent back the answer—something was needed to collect the virginal blood, thus the gown.

At 11:50 we walked outside—me still in my robe and Mandy in the gown her mother had provided. We repeated our pledge under the bright light of the full moon. I laid the blanket across the tree stump, both to provide a clean surface and to remove the irregularities of the surface that could hurt her back. We kissed for several minutes as I explored her breasts with my fingers. Mandy moaned into my mouth as she stroked my cock to its maximum length and girth. I pushed her back onto the stump, lifted the front of the gown and brought my cock to her wet slit. I rubbed it into her and at the stroke of twelve I plunged into her, taking her virginity and her hymen in a single forceful stroke. Given my druthers I would have been gentler and more considerate, but the custom which dated back more than a thousand years wasn’t created with women’s rights in mind.

Once in to the hilt I began to pound her pussy hard, watching Mandy’s face to see how she was handling it. “I’m sorry I hurt you. Once we’re done with this silly ritual I’ll take proper care of you.”

“Oh, Jeremy, it hurt when you forced it into me but now…well, I’ve never felt better.” I told her to move with me so we’d bring each other along. I raised her legs, placing them on my shoulders as I adjusted the angle of my attack. Finally, I found a position where I was able to strike her G-spot on every thrust. It wasn’t long before she began to shake and her breathing became very rapid. I pumped her harder and faster as I reached down to tickle and pinch her clit. Mandy came hard and long, her body shaking so hard she almost fell to the ground. I continued driving my cock into her tunnel until I blew rope after rope of hot white semen into her womb. The ritual was completed! I picked her up and carried her exhausted body back to the cottage, laying her on the bed after first removing her blood stained gown and washing her body. I climbed into the bed after her as we fell asleep in each other’s arms.

Mandy woke early the following morning, jumped in the shower and back into bed, startling me awake. She climbed on top of me, a huge grin on her face. “Thank you, Jeremy, you made me a woman and a witch in one step and the best part is that now we can do it forever.” I smiled back and kissed her. She pushed her tongue between my lips despite the reluctance I exhibited because of my morning breath. In mid-kiss Mandy reached for my cock. I was already hard as she lifted her hips and positioned me at her tunnel. Suddenly she sat up, impaling herself on my erection. She closed her eyes as she sank down. Because of my spell, administered many years ago, my erection was just the perfect size for her pussy. Mandy was amazingly tight; the pressure on my cock was fantastic. When she moved I could feel the friction running the full length of my organ. At the same time I knew that she was being stimulated in every part of her steamy cunt. Her nerve endings must have been firing non-stop because she was obviously turning on fast. Remembering my first time with MP riding me I encouraged Mandy to rock around my cock. I reached up to roll her nipples and was rewarded by a series of long low moans. The more pressure I applied the more she moaned and the more she rocked on me, squeezing my cock in the most marvelous ways. We were getting sweaty; Mandy was dripping all over me, not that I minded one bit. I knew I was getting close when my cock began tingling and the pressure built up in my balls. I took Mandy’s clit between my fingers just as I exploded in her and she shook wildly in her rapture. She fell onto my chest. The last thing I remembered before falling back to sleep was Mandy whispering, “I love you,” in my ear.