Under_The_Whispering_Door_by_TJ_Klune

“Go check on them,” Nelson said to Wallace as he sat back down. “I’ll
handle things in here.”
Wallace believed it. He knew how much the cane hurt.
He glanced back only once as he hurried down the hallway.
Alan hadn’t moved.
Maybe he would listen after all.
“—and you don’t need to take that kind of abuse,” Mei was saying hotly as
Wallace walked through the door into the cool evening air. “I don’t care who
he thinks he is, no one gets to talk to you that way. Screw that guy. Screw him
right in his stupid face.”
Hugo smiled wryly. “Thanks, Mei. Pointed as always.”
“Just because he’s angry and scared doesn’t give him the right to be a
dick. Tell him, Wallace.”
“Yeah,” Wallace said. “I’m probably not the best person, seeing as how I
used to be a dick.”
Mei snorted. “Used to be. That’s real cute.” Then, “Did you leave Nelson
alone with him?”
He held up his hands. “I don’t think you need to worry about that. Nelson
already put him in his place. I’m more worried about Alan than anything
else.”
Hugo groaned. “What did Grandad do?”
“Like … ghost karate?”
Mei laughed. “Oh, man, and I missed it? I need to go see if he’ll do it
again. You’ve got this, Wallace, right?” She didn’t wait for an answer. She
stood on her tiptoes, kissing Hugo on the cheek before heading back inside.
Wallace heard her shouting for Nelson before she closed the door.
“Pain in the ass,” Hugo muttered.
Wallace walked toward him. “Who? Nelson or Mei?”
“Yes,” Hugo said before yawning, his jaw cracking audibly.
“You should go to bed,” Wallace said. “Get some rest. I think he’ll be
quieter tonight.” If they were lucky, Nelson would convince him to keep his
mouth shut for at least a few hours.
“I will. Just … needed to clear my head for a moment.”