The key turned uselessly in the lock while the smart device glowed with a calm blue light that signaled it was still securely engaged. Brandon stepped in to try the handle and leaned his shoulder into the door, but he achieved exactly nothing despite his physical efforts.
“Are we absolutely sure that this is the correct unit number?” Arthur asked while looking around the dim hallway with a confused expression. Tiffany snapped at him that she knew where her own brother lived before jamming the key into the lock one more time.
My phone lit up with another text from her telling me to open the door because she thought the entire situation was ridiculous. For years, I had tried to explain my feelings through long paragraphs and phone calls, but I had always ended up softening my stance to avoid a fight.
This time, I decided that I would not offer any further explanations, so I hit the share button on the doorbell feed and selected the family group chat. Within seconds, the viewer count ticked up as my mother, father, and various cousins logged in to watch the drama unfold.
On the screen, Tiffany yanked the door handle again and glared directly into the camera lens with a look of pure fury. “Ethan, if you can hear me right now, I need you to stop being childish and let us into the apartment,” she said loudly.
My mother immediately typed into the chat that I should just give them the code and that we could talk about boundaries at a later time. Her request for access now and boundaries later was the unofficial constitution of our family that I had lived under for decades.
My heart was hammering against my ribs, but when I pressed the microphone icon to speak, my voice came out surprisingly calm. “The apartment is not available for guests this weekend, so you will all need to find a hotel,” I said through the speaker.
Everyone in the hallway jumped in surprise and looked up at the small camera like the building itself had started speaking to them. Arthur blinked in shock while Martha pressed a hand to her chest, and Cody pulled one of his headphones out to listen.
“Are you seriously doing this to us right now?” Tiffany hissed while her face flushed with a deep red color that looked painful. I told her that I was indeed doing this, and she reminded me that they had driven three hours to get to my place.