Under_The_Whispering_Door_by_TJ_Klune

They drank tea as if it were any other day, the morning turning into afternoon
as they pretended nothing was changing.
They laughed. They told stories. Nelson and Mei reminded Wallace of
how he’d looked in a bikini. Nelson said if only he was a couple of decades
younger, he might consider going after Wallace himself, much to Hugo’s
dismay. Wallace made Nelson show him the rabbit costume. It was quite
startling. The basket of brightly colored eggs only made it worse, especially
when his ears flopped all over the place, his nose wiggling. Nelson didn’t
need to open the eggs for Wallace to know they were filled with cauliflower.
Wallace had to grip the underside of the table to keep from rising farther.
He tried to be inconspicuous about it, but they knew. They all knew. He’d
forgone the leash, not wanting any distractions for what came next.
As the sun moved across the sky, Wallace reflected back on the life he’d
had before this place. It wasn’t much. He’d made mistakes. He hadn’t been
kind. And yes, there were moments of outright cruelty. He could have done
more. He should have been more. But he thought he’d made a difference, in
the end, with help from the others. He remembered how Nancy had looked
before she’d left the tea shop the last time. The way Naomi had sounded on
the phone. The relief on Cameron’s face when the Husk he’d become melted
away, life returning to the dead.
Wallace had done more in death than he ever had in life, but he hadn’t
done it alone.
And maybe that was the point. He still had regrets. He thought he always
would. Nothing could be done about that now. He’d found within himself the
man he had thought he’d become before the heaviness of life had descended
upon him. He was free. The shackles of a mortal life had fallen away. There
was nothing holding him here. Not anymore.
It hurt, but it was a good hurt.
Hugo tried to keep up appearances, but the closer it came to dusk, the
more agitated he became. He fell silent. He frowned. He crossed his arms
defensively.
Wallace said, “Hugo?” as Mei and Nelson quieted. Wallace gripped the
table.
Hugo shook his head.