Page 134 of The Corruption of Hollis Brown

I’d make it however you like. You’ve gotta know that. White shutters? Wraparound porch? All it is, is work. I’m not afraid of work.

She laughed at us, right before everyone passed on. I wish you could have seen her. Walt sounded so wistful.

I will, Hollis promised. Someday.

Walt settled them down into the water and draped their leg over the side.

Give my right arm for a cigarette.

Hollis snorted and rolled their eyes.

We can do a year of that and then we’re quitting. Yulia won’t stand for it, and we’ll be seeing a lot of her soon, I expect. Birthday’s in a week or so though. We’ll buy them honest and legal.

Walt hummed. He placed a hand in the center of their chest and closed their eyes.

Hollis felt it in his bones, Walt’s love. That soft whisper behind his ribs, the ache, the fondness, where it belonged.

When I was down there, I saw my door.

What?

On the other side of the wall, next to the other one. Looked at it hard before I turned to follow you.

Jesus, Walt. What was that like?

Are you sure you want to know? You’ll have your own someday.

Hollis snorted. Typical.

Be kinder to your last ride, give me some hints.

Walt huffed and shifted, stretching their legs out. Twitched their top finger like he already had the cigarette he desperately wanted, and tried:

You ever get in from a long night out and stand in your doorway with the lights off? It’s dark, but it smells like home, it feels warm even if it’s cold as a winter with no firewood. You know that everyone you love is in there fast asleep and you don’t want to wake them too early. Doesn’t matter if it’s a mansion or a hovel, it’s where you live and you’re glad to be back.

There’s no one tryna rush you, or people behind pushing, but it would never occur to you not to put your foot over the threshold and stumble inside. Your heart wants to kick off its shoes and fold up under the quilts.

You don’t even think about it, you just go.

That’s it. No more, no less.

Hollis breathed in the thick stale air and let it go in a whoosh.

Oh. Wow.

Yeah.

Hollis swallowed.

If . . . if you really wanted to, you should. Me needing you isn’t as important—

You promised me years. That creepy wrinkle thing you said, way back when. I want that. You fixin’ to break that promise?

No! I just meant—

I know what you meant.

Hollis heard Walt start to grin, felt it in his voice.