Page 79 of Holly Jolly Heat
"Your mom loves you," I corrected. "She knew what you needed even when you didn't."
"She's been orchestrating this since you arrived."
"And we're grateful," Dex added. "Every scheme, every setup, every 'coincidence' that threw us together. She knew. Probably from the moment you called her after Pike Place Market."
Michelle laughed. "She definitely knew. She told me I was being an idiot for running."
"You weren't being an idiot," Lucas said. "You were being scared. There's a difference."
"I'm still scared."
"Good. Stay scared. But do it anyway." I squeezed her hand. "That's what bravery is."
We sat in comfortable silence for a while, just existing together. The bond hummed between us, new and fragile but growing stronger by the minute.
"Can you really feel my emotions?" Michelle asked. "Like, all the time?"
"Not intrusively," I explained. "It's more like... background awareness. I know when you're happy or scared or stressed.But your thoughts are still your own. The bond doesn't erase privacy."
"That's good. Because my brain is chaotic and I don't need you all dealing with my constant spiral."
"We can handle your spiral," Dex said.
"You say that now."
"We mean it," Lucas added. "Michelle, we've been watching you spiral for days. Watching you fight yourself, fight us, fight what you want. We can handle it. Actually, it's kind of endearing."
"My anxiety is not endearing."
"Your fierce independence is endearing," I corrected. "Your determination to do everything yourself is endearing. Your inability to accept help is endearing. Even when it's frustrating."
"I'm a mess."
"You're our mess," the three of us said in unison.
She laughed, and I felt everything through the bond. Her joy, her relief, her lingering fear, all mixing into something that was purely Michelle.
A knock on the attic door interrupted the moment.
"Are you four done bonding up there?" Janet called. "Because I have hot chocolate and cookies, and Bill wants to know if you're staying for lunch."
"We're staying!" Lucas yelled.
"And we're bonded!" Michelle added. "Mom, you were right. The attic trap worked. Happy now?"
"Thrilled, mija! Now come down and eat. You can have more emotional breakthroughs after lunch."
We untangled ourselves and headed downstairs, where Janet was indeed waiting with hot chocolate and a knowing smile.
"So," she said as we emerged. "Pack official now?"
"Pack official," Michelle confirmed, and I could see the effort it took her to say it, to make it real, to acknowledge it publicly, to stop hiding.
Janet pulled her into a hug. "I'm so happy for you, baby. You deserve this. All of you deserve this."
"You're still a menace."
"I prefer 'loving mother who knows what's best for her daughter.'"
