As he walked up the stairs to the loft, Ben hoped he could fall asleep quickly. It was already much later than he usually stayed up, especially on a Saturday night with church the next day.
The next morning, as Ben walked into the church with Luca, his attention was immediately drawn toward the café.
“I’m going to get coffee,” he said. “And to see if Amelia is working.”
The need to see her was strong, and he hoped that she was feeling well enough to attend the service that day.
As they neared the café, he saw that she was there, and his heart filled with warmth at the sight of her.
There was a short line, so he and Luca joined the end of it. As he waited for their turn, he watched Amelia, observing her movements and trying to judge how she might be feeling.
He’d learned that his assumption of how she might be feeling was usually way off base because, unfortunately, she’d become a master at hiding how she really felt.
Still, he could see that she was focused on what she was doing, and her movements, though slow, were steady. Ben guessed that maybe her pain and fatigue were around a five.
When they finally reached the front of the line, Amelia looked up and her eyes met Ben's. Her expression brightened for just a moment before she schooled it into something more neutral.
"Good morning," she said, her voice soft but clear. "What can I get for you today?"
Ben smiled at her, trying to convey all his feelings in that simple gesture. "We’ll have two regular coffees."
Even though there weren’t any other people waiting behind them, he moved to the side and watched as Amelia prepared their drinks with careful movements.
When she carried them over to the counter, he said, “So… I think you’re kinda cute. Can I sit with you during the service?”
Amelia stared at him for a moment, then laughed. “Sure.”
“Old people flirting,” the teen working with Amelia said, then gave a shudder. She wasn’t the same teen who’d been working with her previously. It seemed that Amelia was the only one who worked every week.
“Old people?” Ben pressed a hand to his chest. “I’m not even old enough to be your dad.”
“Well, you’re acting like you are.”
“I’m so wounded.” Ben sighed. “I’m not sure I’ll survive.”
“Pretty sure you will,” the girl said. “Even if you are old.”
“I’ll have you know, I dated Amelia in high school, and she had no issues with my flirting back then.”
The teen lifted a brow. “And yet… here you are trying the same moves on her twenty years later.”
Amelia let out a huff of laughter. “Maris. It wasn’t twenty years ago. I’m not that old.”
Maris gave her a grin. “I know. But maybe you go for older men.”
“Notthatmuch older,” Amelia told her. “Ben’s only a year older than me.”
“We’d better let you two get back to work before my pride is dented forever,” Ben said as he picked up the cups.
“I’ll see you in a few,” Amelia said.
“You definitely will,” Ben agreed.
He and Luca moved to where the cream and sugar were and doctored up their coffee. They stood off to the side, waiting for Amelia to finish up.
By the time she was done, they’d finished their coffees and dropped the cups in the garbage can provided.
When she joined them, they made their way into the sanctuary. Knowing Amelia’s preference for sitting near the back, Ben guided her over to a few empty seats a couple of rows down.
