Page 91 of Holly Jolly Heat
Ro took a seat next to them and began reviewing camera angles on his tablet.
And I was monitoring social media on my phone, tracking the conversation.
"You're all working," Janet announced, appearing with a spatula. "At my breakfast table. This is unacceptable."
"Mom, I need to finalize—" Michelle started.
"You need to eat. Laptops closed. Phones down. For twenty minutes, you're going to be a family having breakfast, not a pack preparing for battle."
"But—"
"MICHELLE TERESA RODRIGUEZ."
The full name. Even I knew that meant non-negotiable.
Michelle closed her laptop with a sigh. "Fine. Twenty minutes."
"Good girl." Janet set a fresh loaded plate in front of her and whisked away the cold one that Lucas had been nudging toward Michelle. "Eat. All of you, eat. You can't fight on empty stomachs."
Bill appeared with more pancakes. "Listen to your mother. She's very wise."
"She's very bossy," Michelle muttered, but she picked up her fork.
Through the bond, I felt her anxiety ease slightly. The forced normalcy helping more than she wanted to admit.
"So," Maya said, bouncing into the kitchen. "I've been monitoring social media. The Cozy Crew is ready to defend you. I've got a whole team of mods recruited from the regular viewers. We're prepared for troll invasions."
"Maya—" Michelle started.
"Don't 'Maya' me. This is important. You're my sister and you're about to change the industry. The least I can do is run digital defense." She grinned. "Plus, I've been training for this my whole life. My trolling skills are legendary."
"Your trolling skills are concerning," Michelle corrected, but she was almost smiling.
"Same thing."
Josh appeared next, tablet in hand. "I analyzed last night's stream metrics. Your streams, the ones where Michelle appeared, had forty percent higher engagement than baseline. The audience loves when she's protective of you, Lucas. They want more of that energy."
"Josh, you're fourteen," Michelle said.
"And I understand analytics better than most adults." He showed her his tablet. "Look. Every time Michelle enters the frame, viewer retention spikes. Chat engagement doubles. Donations increase. The audience isn't just tolerating her presence, they're actively seeking it."
"That's—" Michelle stopped, looking at the data. "That's actually really good analysis."
"I know. I'm very smart." He grinned. "You're going to be fine tonight, Michelle. The community's on your side. The data proves it."
Through the bond, I felt Michelle's anxiety shift. Not disappearing, but transforming into something more manageable. Her family's support, her brother's analytical reassurance, it was helping.
"Thank you," she said quietly. "All of you. For supporting this. For believing it can work."
"Of course it can work," Janet said firmly. "You're Michelle Rodriguez. You don't fail at things."
"Mom, that's not?—"
"True? Mija, you built a company from nothing. You've succeeded at everything you've ever attempted because you're brilliant and determined and you don't back down." She squeezed Michelle's shoulder. "This is just another challenge. And you have your pack beside you this time. You're not alone."
Through the bond, I felt Michelle's emotion spike with gratitude, love, and lingering fear, but also hope.
"Eat," Janet commanded. "Then you can go back to preparing. But for right now, be present. Be with your family. Be with your pack."
