"Ballingrud-SheFoundHeaven" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ballingrud Nathan)

She unlatched the door and held it open. Lucas was an average man in every sense
of the word: a little under six feet; light brown hair, brushed off to one side;
an open, pleasant face. He wore a light brown sports jacket and tan slacks. He
looked to be somewhere in his forties, but he wore his age comfortably, like a
favorite hat. He held out his hand, and she took it.

"Thank you," he said. "I was afraid you'd turn me away. I know it's an odd time
to come calling."

"How did you know where I live?"

"There aren't too many Sally Baxters in this part of town. Two, in fact, and the
other one's an invalid."

"Oh."

"May I see it?"

She went to the closet and withdrew the shoebox. It was almost hot in her hands.
She gave it to him, and he removed the lid. The light sprang forth and bathed
his face in a warm, white glow. It seemed to work a kind of magic on him: it
filled in the lines on his face, softened the hard line of his mouth, darkened a
gray streak in his hair.

He looked at her. "Oh, thank you," he said. "Thank you."

"That's all right. Take it."

"I'm afraid I don't have any money..."

"I don't want a reward. I'm just glad to be rid of it."

Lucas removed the Heaven from the shoebox and crooked it under his left arm. He
let the shoebox drop to the floor. He looked at her, and smiled.

Sally was surprised as a great well of sorrow suddenly opened within her. Tears
sprang to her eyes. "I just wanted to help people," she said. "I wanted to make
them happy. Instead I only made things worse."

"I know," he said. "But at least you tried." He paused, and then said, "So why
did you give it to me?"

She raised a hand helplessly, let it drop. "I don't want to be an arbiter
anymore. I just want you to be happy. I should have given it to the first person
who called, and had done with it." She closed her eyes. "I tried so hard."

"Too hard, maybe," said Lucas. "Maybe Heaven's a lot simpler than you're letting
it be."