Luca settled in the row behind them, preferring to be able to keep an eye on anyone who might move in Ben’s direction. Even in the church.
“How are you feeling today?” Ben asked, keeping his voice low as he bent closer to her.
She gave him a soft smile. “I’m at about a four for pain and a five for fatigue.”
Ben was pleased that he’d come pretty close to guessing what she’d say. Maybe it meant he was getting better at judging how she was feeling.
“Are you ever a zero?” he asked, realizing that he’d never asked her that.
She shook her head. “Not anymore.”
“A one?” Another shake of her head. “A two?” Another shake, which made Ben frown. “A three?”
“Occasionally. Usually, I’m a four or higher.”
“So never a day without pain?”
Her gaze dropped as she shook her head. “No.”
Ben's heart sank at her admission. He'd known her pain was chronic, but the reality that she never experienced a single day without it hit him hard. Even at its best, pain was still her constant companion.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered, fighting the urge to pull her into his arms right there in the church pew.
"It's okay," Amelia said, though her voice betrayed that it wasn't. "I've gotten used to it."
The worship team took their places at the front, signaling that the service was about to begin. The worship leader invited them all to stand as people found their seats.
Ben stood, then offered his hand to Amelia. She took it, gripping it as she got to her feet. When she didn’t let go right away, Ben gently tightened his grip on her fingers.
Her hand in his felt as right as it ever had.
He didn’t know what was going through her mind with regards to them, but she wasn’t outright rejecting him, so he’d take some encouragement from that.
Though Ben had shifted his focus to the lyrics displayed on the screen at the front of the sanctuary when the service began, he found it difficult to concentrate on the music.
His mind continually drifted to Amelia. Never a day without pain. The thought kept circling in his mind as they sang about God's goodness and faithfulness.
How did she reconcile that reality with her faith? They’d touched on that topic briefly once before, but he wanted to know more about how she was dealing with it.
The pastor’s sermon that day focused on the foundation of their faith and how it was important to have a strong foundation so that regardless of what came their way, it wasn’t shaken.
When they sang the final hymn, Ben couldn’t help but think about Amelia’s situation as they sang one of the verses ofHow Firm a Foundation.
When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply;
the flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
Ben was sure that Amelia felt like she was going through fiery trials, and he hoped that she could see that God’s grace was sufficient to help her through the trial she was in the midst of.
After the final prayer, Ben sat with Amelia, waiting until she stood up before he did. They walked out of the sanctuary and were quickly waylaid by Amelia’s sister.
“Hey, you two,” Layla said with a wide smile. She gestured to the man beside her. “Ben, have you met my husband, Grant?”
“No, I haven’t.” Ben held out his hand to the dark-haired man. “It's a pleasure to meet you.”
