Twenty three people showed up that day, and someone spilled sauce on the rug while someone else fell asleep on my bed during the afternoon. One of Tiffany’s kids even opened a Lego set that Leo had been saving, and my mother told me not to be harsh when I got upset.
After everyone left, I found my son sitting on the floor of his room holding the torn box with an expression of resignation that broke my heart. He asked me if people just came into our home whenever they wanted, and I realized I had become the adult who apologized without changing anything.
I did not change the lock right away, even after that terrible Thanksgiving or the time my mother reorganized my pantry without asking me first. I only ordered the smart lock after the incident where I found my drawers open and Leo’s soccer medal sitting on the kitchen counter.
Now, that tiny blue light on the door was the only thing standing between me and another weekend of being overwhelmed by my sister’s guests. Brandon stepped closer to the camera again and called me dude while trying to make his unreasonable demands sound like a casual favor.