Chapter 11 - The Group Chat That Wouldn't Stop Buzzing
My phone started buzzing at 8:47 that morning and didn't stop.
I was at my apartment, still in my navy shirt from the day before, standing at the kitchen counter with cold coffee in front of me. The screen lit up with a group thread I hadn't muted. My sister had named it "Palm Springs !! " with two exclamation points. There were nine of us in it. I hadn't said anything in it since the airport.
Jenna: Hey?? Did the house get canceled?? I just got an email from VRBO.
Jenna: It says host canceled per request. We lose the deposit??
Mark: Same. Got a refund minus $600 cleaning fee. What happened?
Priya: Wait I thought we were still on? My flight's tomorrow at 6am.
I watched the bubbles pop up one after another. My thumb hovered over the keyboard. A year ago I would have jumped in first. I would have typed something like let's not worry!! I'm sure there's a plan!! I would have covered for her before she even had to explain.
I didn't type anything.
My sister called me at 9:03. I let it ring twice before I picked up.
"Are you seeing this?" she said. Her voice was tight. Not calm and composed like at the check-in hall. I could hear her breathing fast. "Jenna's freaking out. Tell them it was a system error or something. Tell them the airline overbooked."
I stood by the window and watched the parking lot below. "I wasn't there for that part," I said. "You were at the counter."
"Don't do this," she said. "Just say something in the chat. You still have the planner details, you can—"
"I don't have your planner," I said. I kept my voice low. "And I'm not going to explain a decision you made."
She went quiet for a second. In the background I heard her husband murmur something, that same polite tone he'd used at the airport. "You'd slow us down." He didn't get on the phone.
"You can't just leave me hanging," she said. "They're asking me directly."
"Then answer them directly," I said.
She hung up.
The thread kept going.
David: Hey [sister's name] ?? We transferred you $400 each for the house. Are we getting that back?
Jenna: The email says canceled per organizer request. That was you?
I set the phone down and washed my mug. The buzzing continued against the countertop. Every vibration rattled a little. I didn't pick it up until it stopped for a full minute.
When I did, there was a long paragraph from my sister. I could tell she'd revised it. There were pauses where it said she is typing... then stopped... then started again.
My sister: Hi everyone I'm so sorry. There was an issue at the airport and I made the call to cancel everything for this weekend. I know this is disappointing and some costs are nonrefundable. I will make sure everyone is reimbursed for deposits by Friday. Please text me directly if you have charges.
No mention of cats. No mention of me. No story about system errors. For the first time she didn't wrap it in something easier.
Priya replied: Oh no. Is everyone okay??
Mark: Okay thanks for owning it. Just send the venmo when you can.
Jenna: Got it. That sucks but thanks for letting us know.
No one added me to the side conversation. No one asked me to smooth it over. My phone buzzed once more, a private text from my sister.
My sister: Happy now?
May you like
I looked at it for a long time. I didn't answer. I let the screen go dark on its own. Outside, the morning light came through the blinds in clean stripes. I hadn't rescued her, and the house of cards she'd built at that blue-paneled counter was finally sitting where it belonged — with her. Not on my shoulders.
I left the thread on read.
