Under_The_Whispering_Door_by_TJ_Klune

The tea shop was busy all day. Since he was down Mei, Hugo never stopped
moving, barely having time to acknowledge Wallace, much less answer more
questions about what was in his file. It irritated him, though if pressed, he
wouldn’t be able to explain why.
It was Nelson who cut through the heart of the matter, much to Wallace’s
dismay. Wallace was lost in thought, sitting on the floor next to Nelson’s
chair. “He’s not going to forget about you just because someone new is here.”
Wallace resolutely didn’t look at him. He stared into the fireplace, the
flames snapping and popping. “I’m not worried about that at all.”
“Right,” Nelson said slowly. “Of course you’re not. That’d just be
preposterous.”
“Exactly,” Wallace said.
They sat in silence for at least ten more minutes. Then, “But if that’s what
you’re worried about, don’t. Hugo’s smart. Focused. He knows how
important this is. At least, I think he does.”
Wallace looked up at him. Nelson was smiling, but at what, Wallace
didn’t know. “The new person coming here?”
“Sure,” Nelson said. “That too.”
“What are you talking about?”
Nelson waved his hand dismissively. “Just rambling, I suppose.” He
hesitated. “Did you love your wife?”
Wallace blinked. “What?”
“Your wife.”
Wallace looked back at the fire. “I did. But it wasn’t enough.”
“Did you try your hardest?”
He wanted to say yes, that he’d done everything in his power to make sure
Naomi knew she was the most important person in his entire world. “No. I
didn’t.”
“Why do you think that was?” There was no censure in his voice, no
judgment. Wallace was absurdly grateful for it.
“I don’t know,” Wallace said, picking at a string on his jeans. He hadn’t
worn anything close to a suit since he’d been able to change clothes. It made
him feel better, like he’d shed an outer shell he hadn’t been aware he’d been
carrying. “Things got in the way.”