Under_The_Whispering_Door_by_TJ_Klune

Cameron. These whispers were more forceful, coming from the door, and
though he couldn’t make the words out, they had a cadence to them that felt
like speech, frightening and enthralling him in equal measure. He was
haunting the tea shop, a little boat in a vast ocean. His feet never touched the
floor.
Nelson watched him from his chair in front of the fireplace. When Apollo
tugged Wallace by him, Nelson said, “You feel it, don’t you?”
“What?” Wallace asked, voice wistful and off-kilter.
“The door. It calls to you.”
“Yes,” Wallace whispered. He spun lazily in the air.
“This hook. The cable. You had one.”
Wallace blinked slowly, coming back to himself. At least a little bit. “You
do too. Of course you do. I never thought to ask. What is it?”
“I don’t know,” Nelson admitted. “Not really. It’s always been there. I
think it’s a manifestation of a connection, tying us to Hugo, reminding us that
we’re not alone.”
“It’s gone now,” Wallace whispered, staring down at the crackling fire.
He closed his eyes. Hugo was there, smiling in the dark.
“Perhaps,” Nelson said. “But what it represented isn’t. That can never be
taken away from you. Remember what I told you about need versus want? We
don’t need you because that implies you had to fix something in us. We were
never broken. We want you, Wallace. Every piece. Every part. Because
we’re family. Can you see the difference?”
Wallace laughed quietly. “But I haven’t had my third cup of tea.”
Nelson tapped his cane on the floor. “No. I don’t suppose you have. Let’s
change that, shall we?”
Wallace opened his eyes. “What?”
Nelson nodded toward the kitchen.
Hugo and Mei appeared through the double doors. Hugo carried a tray
filled with familiar cups and a clay teapot. Cameron trailed after them, eyes
bright.
Hugo set the tray down on a table. He motioned for them to join them at
the table. He said, “Cameron, I have something for you.”
Cameron blinked. “For me? I thought this was for…” He glanced at
Wallace.
Wallace shook his head. “No. This is for you. Your first.”