Under_The_Whispering_Door_by_TJ_Klune
Wallace was leaning on. Wallace didn’t flinch when Nelson reached up andcupped his face. His hands were warm. “Be proud of what you’veaccomplished, Wallace. You’ve earned that right.”“I’m scared,” Wallace whispered. “I don’t mean to be, but I am.”“I know you are,” Nelson said. “I am too. But as long as we’re together,we can help each other until the end. Our strength will be your strength. Wewon’t carry you because you don’t need us to. But we’ll be by your side.”Then, “Can I ask you something?”Wallace nodded as Nelson dropped his hands.“If things were different, and you were still … here. I don’t know how.Say you took a trip on your own, and you ended up in our little town. Youfound your way to this tea shop, and Hugo was as he was, and you were asyou were. What would you do?”Wallace laughed wetly. “I’d probably make a mess of things.”“Of course you would. But that’s the beauty of it, don’t you think? Life ismessy and terrible and wonderful, all at the same time. What would you do ifHugo was before you and there was nothing stopping you? Life or death oranything else. What would you do?”Wallace closed his eyes. “Everything.”Depression hit on the second morning, brief though it was. Wallace allowedhimself the sadness that stirred within him, remembering how Hugo had toldhim grief wasn’t only for the living. He stood on the back deck, watching thesunrise. He could hear Hugo and Mei moving around in the kitchen. Hugo hadwanted to close the shop for the day, but Wallace told him to go on as healways did. He had Mei on his side, and Hugo finally relented, though hewasn’t happy about it.The sunlight filtered through the trees, melting the thin layer of frost on theground. He gripped the railing as the light stretched toward him. It touchedhis hands first. And then his wrists, and arms, and finally his face. It warmedhim. It calmed him. He hoped wherever he was going that there’d still be thesun and the moon and the stars. He’d spent a majority of his life with his headturned down. It seemed only fair that eternity would allow him to raise hisface toward the sky.
The sadness receded, though it didn’t leave entirely. It still bubbledunderneath the surface, but he floated on top of it now. This was a differentkind of grief, he knew, but it was still his all the same.He accepted that.What will you do with the time you have left?And that’s when he knew.“Are you out of your damn mind?” Mei snapped at him. She stood in thekitchen, glaring at him as if Wallace were the stupidest person she’d everlaid eyes on. Hugo manned the register out front, the shop busy.He shrugged. “Probably? But I think it’s the right thing to do.”She threw up her hands. “Nothing involving Desdemona Tripplethorne isthe right thing to do. She’s a terrible person, and when she finally bites thebig one, I’m going to—”“Help her like you’ve helped everyone else if she gets assigned to you?”Mei deflated. “Of course I will. But man, I won’t like it. And you can’tmake me.”“I wouldn’t dream of it. I know you don’t care for her, Mei. And you havevery good reason not to. But you said Nancy trusts her, for whatever reason.If it came from you or Hugo, she might not listen. At least with Desdemona,we’d have a chance. And if what I have in mind works, she won’t be herevery long.” He shook his head. “I won’t do this, though, without your okay.”“Why?”She was really going to make him say it, wasn’t she? “Because youmatter.”She startled, a slow smile blooming on her face. “I matter?”He groaned. “Shut up.”She looked away, though he could tell she was pleased. “Hugo’s not goingto be happy about this.”“I know. But the point of all of this is to help as many people as you can,right? And Nancy needs help, Mei. She’s stuck, and it’s killing her. Maybe itwon’t work, and it won’t make anything better. But what if it does? Don’t weowe it to her to try?”
- Page 207 and 208: we’re all traveling on.”Alan sh
- Page 209 and 210: we can do it after—”“Oh, hey,
- Page 211 and 212: come. “Any specific reason?”“
- Page 213 and 214: Wallace blinked. “Oh, uh. Practic
- Page 215 and 216: “How did it go?”Hugo started to
- Page 217 and 218: CHAPTER16“Are you sure about this
- Page 219 and 220: down at his tea, muttering under hi
- Page 221 and 222: “Yes,” Wallace said. “And whe
- Page 223 and 224: The tables jumped again as Alan too
- Page 225 and 226: He hated how much he focused on it,
- Page 227 and 228: “He does,” Hugo said. He looked
- Page 229 and 230: “Or I know my limits,” Wallace
- Page 231 and 232: age. He was coldly handsome, though
- Page 233 and 234: were here in February. Speaking of,
- Page 235 and 236: him. He turned to see Alan stepping
- Page 237 and 238: Alan rose slowly to his feet, point
- Page 239 and 240: CHAPTER17It was bigger than any sta
- Page 241 and 242: The boy nodded at Wallace before lo
- Page 243 and 244: instead of solid. “In fact, an ar
- Page 245 and 246: full well he wasn’t in his right
- Page 247 and 248: dies. Death is cleansing. The pain
- Page 249 and 250: Sure, the bureaucracy of it all can
- Page 251 and 252: “He’s not gone,” Wallace said
- Page 253 and 254: He didn’t know.He’d never felt
- Page 255 and 256: “Then do it. I don’t know what
- Page 257: Hugo shook his head. Muttering unde
- Page 261 and 262: On the third evening, Hugo switched
- Page 263 and 264: Nancy did as asked, clutching her p
- Page 265 and 266: Mei cocked her head as if confused,
- Page 267 and 268: I KNOW. BUT I HOPE IN HEARING FROM
- Page 269 and 270: For a moment, Wallace thought it’
- Page 271 and 272: CHAPTER19Acceptance.It was easier t
- Page 273 and 274: then another and then another. And
- Page 275 and 276: didn’t know if anyone would answe
- Page 277 and 278: “What’s that supposed to mean?
- Page 279 and 280: “I’m not trying to,” Wallace
- Page 281 and 282: He laughed wildly. “If not now, w
- Page 283 and 284: Wallace felt the pull the moment th
- Page 285 and 286: As the sun set, they stood side by
- Page 287 and 288: He failed.His eyes rolled up in his
- Page 289 and 290: They said, “Cameron, let’s go o
- Page 291 and 292: grit his teeth together. Tears floo
- Page 293 and 294: CHAPTER21The next day, Charon’s C
- Page 295 and 296: He hung his head. “I’m scared,
- Page 297 and 298: Nelson rose from his chair, tugging
- Page 299 and 300: on forever. He wondered if there we
- Page 301 and 302: Nelson standing in front of the tea
- Page 303 and 304: Hugo lowered his hand back to the b
- Page 305 and 306: “Hugo?”“Yeah?”“Don’t fo
- Page 307 and 308: Wallace couldn’t. Everything was
The sadness receded, though it didn’t leave entirely. It still bubbled
underneath the surface, but he floated on top of it now. This was a different
kind of grief, he knew, but it was still his all the same.
He accepted that.
What will you do with the time you have left?
And that’s when he knew.
“Are you out of your damn mind?” Mei snapped at him. She stood in the
kitchen, glaring at him as if Wallace were the stupidest person she’d ever
laid eyes on. Hugo manned the register out front, the shop busy.
He shrugged. “Probably? But I think it’s the right thing to do.”
She threw up her hands. “Nothing involving Desdemona Tripplethorne is
the right thing to do. She’s a terrible person, and when she finally bites the
big one, I’m going to—”
“Help her like you’ve helped everyone else if she gets assigned to you?”
Mei deflated. “Of course I will. But man, I won’t like it. And you can’t
make me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it. I know you don’t care for her, Mei. And you have
very good reason not to. But you said Nancy trusts her, for whatever reason.
If it came from you or Hugo, she might not listen. At least with Desdemona,
we’d have a chance. And if what I have in mind works, she won’t be here
very long.” He shook his head. “I won’t do this, though, without your okay.”
“Why?”
She was really going to make him say it, wasn’t she? “Because you
matter.”
She startled, a slow smile blooming on her face. “I matter?”
He groaned. “Shut up.”
She looked away, though he could tell she was pleased. “Hugo’s not going
to be happy about this.”
“I know. But the point of all of this is to help as many people as you can,
right? And Nancy needs help, Mei. She’s stuck, and it’s killing her. Maybe it
won’t work, and it won’t make anything better. But what if it does? Don’t we
owe it to her to try?”
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