New chapter for you! Enjoy! Thanks for all the reviews, they make me feel good and want me to keep writing!
Chapter 2 - Best Family in the World
Lyndy had other plans. Rather than staying to untack, she wanted to catch her mom at a time where she could talk. "Mom!" she called across the lawn, jogging to catch up.
Amy stopped climbing the steps to the house, and turned to face her daughter. "Hey sweetie, what's up?"
"Not much, I just had a question." Lyndy stopped running and stood next to her mom. "Mom, did you ever hide a friend from someone?"
Amy was surprised at her daughter's question. "No honey, except from myself. I mean, like I tried to stop my feelings about someone once, yet that didn't work." Amy smiled. She thought back to the time that she had ignored her feelings for the one and only, Ty Borden. Yet he had won her over and Lyndy, TJ, Lily and the wedding ring on Amy's left hand were the outcome.
Lyndy nodded thoughtfully, also thinking of her parent's story. She wondered if that's what TJ was doing; trying to hide his true feelings for Esme by not mentioning her and telling Lyndy they were "just friends."
"Is everything okay?" Amy continued to look at Lyndy in question.
"Yes, thanks mom!" Lyndy smiled, a genuine Lyndy smile, and ran into the house, letting the screen door slam behind her. Amy shook her head; Lyndy was a sweet girl but sometimes, not even her mom knew what was going on inside her head.
As soon as Lyndy entered the house, two arms wrapped around her waist. "Hi sissy!" Lily said, hugging her sister from behind.
"Hey Lily." Lyndy turned around and picked up her sister. Lily laughed, as Lyndy tickled her.
"Girls, time to wash up, dinner's going to be ready in about twenty minutes." Lou appeared from washroom, a dishtowel in her hands.
"Okay." Lyndy grabbed the soap from the kitchen and rinsed her hands in the sink. Then she lifted her sister so Lily could reach the tap as well. Lily hadn't had her growth spurt yet, and was still small for her age. "Shall I tell TJ and Katie to come in for dinner?" Lyndy asked.
"No need." Katie and TJ entered the house with Amy behind them. "Thanks mom," Katie accepted the stack of plates that Hermon handed her, and set them on the place mats set up around the table.
"When's Ty getting home?" Lou looked expectantly at her sister.
Amy finished washing her hands and looked at her watch. "Soon, probably within the next few minutes." Since Scott retired a couple years earlier, and had left Ty the vet clinic, Mr. Borden had been spending some extra hours there. It was lucky for Ty that Cassandra had been able to take over for the work Ty had done, and they had hired a new person, Brick actually. Brick was Wyatt's younger brother, about year older than Katie. He wasn't an actual vet, but he helped with giving medications and was looking to start vet school that fall.
"Okay, Jenn and Brick said they'd be here around seven, and it's almost seven now." Lyndy's aunt finished taking dishes out if the oven and set them on the counter. "Can you kids please put them on the table? Don't let Lily carry the chicken," Lou added, knowing that that was a recipe for disaster. Lily was always eager to help, but she was definitely accident prone, and Lou didn't want her dinner ending up on the floor.
When all the dishes were set and dinner was on the table, Lyndy decided to wait outside for her dad. TJ joined her, hoping to find out what she had asked their mom about earlier. "Hey sis," he said, standing on the porch watching Lyndy perch on the fence.
"Hey TJ, what's up? How did untacking go?" Lyndy asked, turning around from facing the driveway.
"Fine, what were you asking mom about?"
"Oh nothing, just wanted to ask about her and dad when they were kids."
TJ gave his sister a side glance. He couldn't tell if she was lying or not; Lyndy was good at keeping secrets.
"I'm being honest TJ," Lyndy said, then concentrated on watching for their dad.
TJ nodded and joined her on the fence. "Lyndy, I just wanted to say, I think you should know, that if I ever feel anything different towards Esme, you'll be the first I'll talk to."
Lyndy looked over at TJ. "Thanks bro, it means a lot." Lyndy was glad she and her brother got along so well. Other siblings weren't so lucky. She had a kid at school who would get in fights with her brother all the time, some so bad they would both end up injured somehow.
"Hey, there's my favourite kids!" Ty jumped out of his truck and jogged across the front lawn to his two eldest. Lyndy and TJ jumped off the fence and into their dad's arms.
"What about Lily?" Lyndy asked, as Ty put her and TJ back on the ground.
"Lily's right there," Ty opened his arms again to welcome his youngest daughter. Amy followed behind and gave her husband a kiss. "You kids go into the house, I need to have a word with your mom," Ty said, winking at Amy.
Lyndy got the message and grabbed TJ and Lily's hands. "C'mon guys!" She laughed and ran into the house. It was funny, how a simple thing, such as their dad coming home, could make everyone smile.
Since Lily was only six, she didn't quite understand what their dad was "talking" to their mom about. "Is Mommy in trouble?" she asked, pausing after the screen door was shut.
Lyndy shook her head. "That's his code word for kissing. If you're quiet, you can look out the kitchen window and witness it for yourself." TJ was already at the window, as he enjoyed when his parents expressed their love for each other. It showed how strong their family was and how it was built on love.
Jenn and Brick came in a few minutes later with Amy and Ty. "Someone asked for dessert?"
"Jenn!" Lily rushed over to her and gave her a hug. Brick gave TJ a fist bump and Lyndy smiled shyly at him.
"Hey there Lilybug!" Jenn patted Lily's head, and handed Lou the bag she had brought. "Thanks for inviting us over," she said.
"Our pleasure!" Lou nudged Katie, who was sitting on the kitchen counter. Katie looked up from her phone and nodded, avoiding Brick's glance.
"Yeah, I'm glad you guys came." She smiled and jumped off the counter "How about we have dinner?"
"Sounds good!" Amy and Ty take a seat at the ends of the table with Brick, Jenn and Lou on one side and the Flemming-Borden kids and Katie on the other.
Lou had gone all out, even though it was a small gathering compared to the elaborate dinners she had cooked for years before. There was ham, potatoes, green beans, steamed carrots broccoli and cold cucumbers. In a small pitcher there was gravy, which made Lyndy's mouth water. There was even a apple pie for dessert, homemade by Jenn. Everything was piping hot and smelled oh so good.
"Before we eat, I just wanted to make a toast," said Lou, when everyone had a full plate. "To being home with my family, even if it's only for a few days and my husband isn't here." She laughed. Mitch was back in New York still, having a boys' weekend with some of his best mates.
"Here, here!" Everyone said.
"And to the best family in the world!" Lyndy raised her glass of milk.
"Now that I support one-hundred percent!" Amy clinked her glass to her daughter's. "Just wish everyone else was here too."
"Yeah." TJ sighed and looked down at his plate. Everyone started talking and digging in, saying how good everything was. But what his mom had said made him think. He hardly knew what his cousin Georgie and her husband were doing and what about his Great Grandpa Jack? And of course, Tim and Casey. It seemed as if the family wasn't as together as everyone thought.
But little did TJ know, that was all going to change, and very, very quickly.
Don't forget this is an uncompleted story/in-progress, which means there will be a new chapter each week, so add this story to your alerts/subscriptions! Also, there will not be another chapter until the new episode of Heartland comes out, unless time allows. So get ready for this Sunday's Heartland episode. You can watch at 7pm on CBC and 7:30 Newfoundland on CBC if you live in Canada!
Next chapter/update:
First appearance of Esme, Cass and Caleb's daughter! And a very special question from Brick, to someone special *wink wink*
