Page 179 - SpontaneousSuccessMatos

and flattened the album out. With him was a young girl
in the passenger seat. Francesca pointed to the girl.
"Do you remember the night before you left
Lavanda?
"That was a very emotional night for me."
"This girl," she said, pointing to the girl in the car.
"She delivered an envelope to you.”
“A child in a Benfica shirt?"
"This is Lara. Tomaz’s daughter. That envelope
ended up in the garbage, covered in mustard. I rescued
it. I opened it, and cleaned it, and put it in a fresh
envelope from the store." She blushed, and her chin
trembled. “But I read it. I am sorry, and I'm ashamed. I
know better."
As we soared through the night sky, from New York
to Faro the cabin lights dimmed. I reached out and
gently placed my hand on hers. She gave a tight smile
and shook her head, her eyes glinting with a mix of
emotions.
"At first, it seemed so... insignificant, so fleeting," she
began, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I don't
know... For me, was it a sign, a message from God? Or
was it just rubbish, the ramblings of a crazy old man?"
She paused, her gaze drifting off into the distance. "But
Tomaz is not crazy."
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