Tonight is huge. Tonight changes everything for him. For us.
"Fuck yeah!" I say enthusiastically, grinning so wide my cheeks hurt. "Set the camera up! At midnight it's officially Christmas and your first published book goes live to the entire world! We have to celebrate properly!"
Theo immediately springs into action, pulling the phone and tripod from his tactical backpack that he insisted on bringing. He sets it up with military efficiency, adjusting angles and checking lighting and making sure the massive Christmas tree is perfectly framed behind us.
"Lighting is suboptimal," he mutters, adjusting the phone's position slightly. "But the tree provides good backlight. Composition is decent. Framing could be better but we're working with limited time constraints."
"Theo, it's fine," I laugh. "We're not making a movie."
"All content should meet minimum quality standards," he says seriously. "Your followers deserve excellence."
"They're getting us freezing our butts off in the town square at midnight. That's pretty excellent."
"Fair point."
He taps the screen, navigating to TikTok.
Hovers his finger over the live button. Looks at me for confirmation.
I nod.
"Do it."
Theo initiates the live stream with a single tap.
Numbers start popping up immediately on the screen like fireworks. Viewers joining. Not thousands like we had before the lawsuit. Not the tens of thousands we had at our peak when every video went viral. But loyal numbers. Real numbers. People who stayed through the darkness. People who believed me when everyone else called me a liar. People who waited patiently for me to come back.
100 viewers. 200. 350. 500. 725. Still climbing steadily like a heartbeat.
The comments section explodes with activity almost instantly, messages flying by so fast I can barely read them all.
"REVERIE!!!"
"OMG YOU'RE BACK!!!"
"WE MISSED YOU SO MUCH!!!"
"CONGRATS ON THE COURT WIN!!!"
"YOU DID IT!!!"
"WE KNEW YOU WERE TELLING THE TRUTH!!!"
"YOUR ALPHAS ARE SO HOT!!!"
"WAIT IS THAT A PUPPY?!?!"
"DID YOU GET A DOG?!?!"
"WHAT'S THE PUPPY'S NAME?!?!"
"YOU GUYS ARE IN OAKRIDGE!!!"
"THE TREE IS BEAUTIFUL!!!"
"I'M CRYING!!!"
"THIS IS SO PERFECT!!!"
