Under the Whispering Door

A few nights later, Nelson starts teaching Wallace how to properly be a ghost. Wallace tries desperately to move a chair, but his hands keep passing through it. Nelson tells him to focus, and when Wallace closes his eyes, he has a detailed memory of one of his and Naomi’s first dates. This invokes a feeling of deep loss. When he opens his eyes, he is holding the chair, but the next time he tries to do it the chair flies across the room. Hugo and Mei come down at the sound and are surprised at his strength so early into his time as a ghost. When Hugo asks how he did it, Wallace said he was thinking of a happy memory. He realizes that, despite his and Naomi’s differences, they were once happy together.

Wallace begins to settle into the working rhythm of the tea shop. He had been hiding in the kitchen even though none of the customers can see him, but he starts to venture out more. Nancy returns to the tea shop most days and Hugo sits with her patiently as she remains silent. One day, Nancy storms out and, to Wallace’s surprise, Hugo leaves to take a ride on his scooter to clear his head.