It had only been two days later, but William held up the little girl's heart pleased that it was finished. When his son came in that day, William had told him over tea that their little friend could once again live with her heart.
"I am sure she will be pleased," Timothy commented.
That afternoon Timothy paid Margaret a visit at Mrs Black's apartment building were she had been staying. He was in so much of a hurry from excitement to tell her the good news that he had almost forgotten to greet her. "You can come with me now to pick it up if you wish. The sooner the better," he quickly added.
Margaret agreed with this arrangement and kept just at Timothy's heels struggling to keep up with his long enthusiastic strides.
When presented to her, she almost did not recognise the object held in-between William's hands. The beautiful red organ decorated with shades of purple and blue did not look nearly as worn out and tattered as the original heart she gave to William. This was an entirely new thing to her- a fresh start.
"I can never thank you enough for your help, sir. I am more than grateful," She told William as she struggled for more adequate words.
"If you really want to thank me, then thank me by taking good care of that thing." He crouched down to her height and looked her straight in the eye." My dear, I have had many people walk in and out of this place with all sorts of problems with their hearts, but never have I seen a girl your age with a heart as damaged as yours was. You are young and you ought to be happy and using that thing without getting hurt, do you understand?" he asked firmly.
The force of his words and the stirness with which they were spoken in left her speechless so she resorted to nodding her head in agreement.
William had offered to put her heart back in its place but she protested. The procedure was simple enough that she could do it herself whenever she pleased. She ran off shouting a last thank you and a goodbye before Timothy could offer to walk her back to Mrs Black's apartment building. The father and son duo looked at each other pleased that they could help such a sweet young girl.
Margaret did not run back to Mrs Black's apartment building nor did she go anywhere near there.
Margaret ran towards the town's edge were a lone house barely stood. She pushed open the old wooden door and began searching the small poorly lit house. It did not take her long before she found what she had been looking for spread out on the torn olive green couch.
She was to excited to wait for him to wake up so she cupped his shoulder and shook it. As he opened his eyes, she held out her heart towards him. This was it- the moment she had been waiting for. The moment she would finally be able to offer something of value to him.
He rubbed his eyes with one dirt covered hand before shooting his brown eyes at her.
"What are you doing back here?" his voice, as tired as it was, was laced with venom.
"I want to give you something," She held the heart out slightly further, " It's a new heart. It's very valuable, I know because everyone says so. It is yours."
He took it from her hands and pretended to study it in the little light that stream in through the muddy window. She let a small smile creep across her face before it vanished at the sight of her heart being thrown down to the carpeted floor.
"Is this some kind of joke?"
