His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.
Lily's heart clenched. That nameless dread and fear had plagued her so much during those first days in London when it was just her alone with her diagnosis. And her daylight had faded into the deepest of night shades. It had been at the darkest of those moments when she had cried for healing from the disease that had taken up residence in her body.
Does Jesus care when I've tried and failed
To resist some temptation strong;
When for my deep grief there is no relief,
Though my tears flow all the night long?
There was a change in key and Josh sang,
Does Jesus care when I've said 'goodbye' to the dearest on earth to me.
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks, is it aught to him? Does He see?
Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.
The song was familiar to her as it had been on one of their earliest releases, and she'd played it many times.Oh yes, He cares.It was one of the things that had gotten her through those early days. Even though she hadn't opened the Bible and sought comfort there at the time, the words of the songs Josh and Cami sang had kept her from sinking completely into the darkness after her diagnosis. Eventually, the Bible had become her place of solace, but it had been the music that had drawn her there.
Once the concert was over, people surged to the foyer to where Josh and Cami had gone as the pastor closed the evening in prayer. Lily moved more slowly, trying to keep from looking in Nate's direction. Sooner or later they were going to meet. She just wasn't sure she wanted it to be in public with the whole church looking on. There were probably very few people in the church that didn't know about their history.
Several people came up to her and welcomed her home as she made her way with Will and Amy to the foyer of the church. Lily had anticipated a period of awkwardness and curiosity as people wondered about her absence for the past few years.
"Lily!"
She turned in time to be tackled in a tight hug. The site of familiar red curls had her returning the hug instantly. Before she could say anything, the young woman pushed back from their embrace and held her at arm's length. "I can't believe you're finally home. You're not allowed to leave ever again."
Lily smiled. "Hi, Meggy. It's good to see you, too."
Meg's hands slid down to clasp hers, her brow furrowing. "I'm so glad you're home for good."
"I am, too. It was time."
Meg nodded. "I thought it might be after our last conversation." She pulled her close for a hug again. "I just can't tell you how wonderful it is to have you home. I've missed you so much."
"Come out to the manor for a visit," Lily said.
"I will. And if you need anything at all, let me know." Meg was the only person who had known about her diagnosis almost from the start. She had been a rock once she'd understood why Lily had fled Collingsworth.
As they stepped apart once more, Lily's gaze went past Meg to a man who stood just behind her friend, a patient look on his face. Meg must have realized where Lily's attention was because she quickly turned and reach out to take the man's hand.
"Lily, I'd like you to meet Andrew. Andrew, this is my best friend, Lily Collingsworth."
Lily shook the hand Andrew held out to her, curious about this man who had managed to capture Meg's somewhat flighty attention. She'd heard all about him during their phone calls, so it was nice to finally meet him.
They made small talk for a few minutes before Meg glanced at her boyfriend. "Well, I hate to run, but Andrew has an early morning tomorrow, so he needs to get home. He's my ride."
