“You’re so dramatic.”
Friday.
10:42 a.m.
The gate camera detected the first vehicle.
Then a second.
Then a third.
Twelve people.
Suitcases.
Coolers.
Grocery bags.
Mom climbed out first.
Then I noticed something tied to the roof of Dad’s vehicle.
A wooden sign.
It read:
“Casa Mendoza — Work of Ernesto Mendoza.”
I honestly couldn’t believe it.
Mom entered the old gate code.
Red light.
Dad tried his remote.
Nothing.
Lorena entered her code three times.
Still red.
Then they looked through the gate.
Inside the property was a production van.
Lighting equipment.
Cameras.
Six crew members moving through the garden.
Mom shouted my name.
Dad marched toward the gate.
“Get those people out! We have guests!”
The producer calmly approached and showed him the contract.
My name was clearly listed as the property owner.
His company had permission to use the house for ten days.
Lorena’s future mother-in-law, Beatriz, picked up the laminated notice beside the keypad.
She read it slowly.
“Access permitted only with written authorization from the owner.”
Then she looked at my father.
“Ernesto… didn’t you say this house belonged to you?”
Silence.
I activated the gate speaker.
“I told you not to come.”
Mom exploded.
“We drove almost four hours!”
“And I told you before you left that you had nowhere to stay here.”
Dad pointed toward his ridiculous sign.
“I worked on this house.”
“You helped with the terrace for three days. That does not make you the owner.”
Then I sent three images to the family chat.
The deed.
Lorena’s message saying I would eventually give in.
And an email Dad had sent Beatriz describing the property as:
“The house I built for our family.”
The entire group went silent.
Mom turned toward Lorena.
“You told me Karla had agreed.”
Lorena looked irritated.
“She always gives in eventually.”
Diego, standing behind them, answered,
“That doesn’t mean she agreed this time.”
Beatriz kept reading.
Her husband, Arturo, had stopped looking at the house entirely.
He was looking at my father.
Dad tried to regain control.
