OTA part 21

Amy woke from her restful sleep as she opened her eyes she was looking at her phone on the night stand. Caleb's words from the day before began running through her head, she realized how much she missed Sonya, and their talks. She had never been anything but nice to her and yet she had pushed her away. Why? Probably because of Ty and the rest of the family and when she saw her she was reminded of them. Yet yesterday being with Caleb had reminded her of how much she needed friends. She was enjoying the work at Hillhurst but she did not have any friends to just hang with. In Europe it had been work then dinners out with Ahmed or parties almost every night there had never been any time to stop and relax. Now she had plenty of time to relax but she missed the people. The team was not like they had been in Europe and Ahmed had been away almost as much as he had been around since she had come back to work. When he was around he only had her over or stopped by to talk about what had gone on that day and how they could proceed with training getting ready for the next show. He seemed to be pulling away from her. He was still his friendly self but she could not help feeling that he was staying away for more than just letting her readjust to working and waiting on her memory to come back. She remembered how she and Ahmed had become almost inseparable going and doing everything together after Ty had left!

…..

Sonya's phone rang she picked it up and saw it was Amy! "Hello stranger, it's good to hear your voice! How are you doing?"

"I am sorry Sonya, I was just thinking about you and realized that I should not have just shut you out and I am asking you to forgive me."

"Water under the bridge" said Sonya, "what can I do for you?" Wondering what had brought this call about she had all but given up on ever hearing from or seeing Amy again.

"I know it is the weekend and you and Ty probably have things to do and want some time together but I would like to get together with you if you would like."

"We had planned a couple of things for this morning" said Sonya, "let me go talk with Ty."

"He is not right there with you" she questioned.

"No he is in his room," Sonya said with a giggle, thinking about how that must sound to people. They had lived together since they had first met, yet knowing that it was part of what made their relationship so special. "I will go wake him up, time he was up moving around anyway think he is getting lazy on me."

Amy had never thought about it but two people living together who were going to get married soon would be in separate bedrooms? Maybe they had a fight; no Sonya was too cheerful for that. Then she heard Sonya knock on the door and say "Ty its Amy and she wants to know if I can meet with her later today."

Ty looked up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, had he just heard Sonya right. "You said Amy wants to meet with you?"

"Yes!"

The excitement in Sonya's voice was unmistakable, and Ty saw the big smile on Sonya's face. He acted all serious and paused like he was thinking but he knew there was no way to keep them apart even if he wanted to. "Sure we need to pick up some things and I will be working for a while at the ranch. You can go see her while I do all the work!"

"No, Ty we can get together later" Sonya responded as the smile disappeared from her face.

"I was just messing with you what I have to do will just be me doing the work and you sitting around anyway so go and have a good time."

"I heard", said Amy "tell him thanks. Call me and we can meet at Maggie's."

"Wonder what that is all about" said Ty?

"I don't know but thank you for allowing me to see her."

"I will never stop you Sonya and you know that. I did not think it was the right time for you to be around her, but since she called you and wants to talk maybe now is the time for you to reconnect. Don't expect me to come along as a third right now though ok! Ty's phone rang, its Caleb" he said to Sonya.

"Looks like all our old friends are calling today" she said with a smile.

Caleb told them all about the previous day and what Amy had told him. When he hung up Ty looked at Sonya, "now I know that this is the right time for you to meet with Amy."

….

Sonya helped Ty unload the building supplies from the truck in the barn and asked if there was anything else that she could do to help. When Ty assured her is was ok she gave him a big hug, "wish me luck" and drove away.

Amy was sitting at a corner table and had already ordered them some tea and a piece of huckleberry pie to share.

"Hi" said Amy with a big smile as she stood up and walked to Sonya and gave her a big hug.

Sonya wrapped her arms around Amy and hugged her back, "good to see you too, you are looking well."

"I am sorry for the way I have been acting and thanks, yes I am feeling well," said Amy. She began to fill Sonya in on all the happenings since they had last talked. About going back to work at Hillhurst and how much she was enjoying working with the horses again.

Sonya observed Amy as she talked and though there was some excitement when she talked about working with the horses the rest of her conversation seemed to be guarded. "I sense that you are not telling me everything here Amy what is wrong?"

Amy looked over at Sonya, "Is it that obvious?"

"I know you Amy and so yes I guess it is you just don't seem to feel like talking about anything other than the horses. Well and Ahmed of course how long have you known you have feeling for him."

Amy stopped and thought for a moment. "You are telling me that you think I have feeling for Ahmed, well that is not true we are only friends. But I feel like I am not connecting with the people including the Ahmed in the same way I remembered from Europe."

"How is it different" asked Sonya? She was not going to push the Ahmed thing as it would only end their conversation in a hurry she was afraid.

"The team does not talk with me, Ahmed is friendly as ever and so helpful, yet I cannot help but feel that he is hiding something or also avoiding me as well. He has stepped in and all communications with the team is done through him. I still don't remember anything from the day before we left Europe till the time I woke up at Heartland! I have been living at Hillhurst and have not seen much of anyone and everyone seems to treat me like I am a leper"

"Have you stopped and asked any of them what is wrong?"

"I think I know why the stable help stays away, when I returned to Hillhurst I really lit into them over nothing and since then they have just done their jobs and stayed as far away from me as possible. The team seems to be keeping their distance as well and Ahmed said they were upset with me because I left so he will communicate with them till it is better but I don't see anything getting better Sonya" as tears formed at the corner of Amy's eyes. "Just when I thought there was not hope out of the blue I got a phone call from Caleb. We went to the Stampede yesterday and I realized just how much I needed friends like you in my life.

Ahmed said he has been concerned for me so he has brought in Dr. Abd Al-Aziz to try and help me remember, and tomorrow he is going to hypnotize me."

"Why does he want to hypnotize you?"

"He said that maybeI could be helped to remember."

"How comfortable are you with doing this Amy" asked Sonya? "I know it is used in the practice but I don't feel real comfortable with it as I don't know the Dr. But if you are then it should be ok."

"What could be wrong with it" Amy asked?

"The Dr. I work for and from what I learned in school, say you can use it to help someone remember or jog your memory while you are under, but you also open yourself up to suggestions. From what I understand you cannot be made to do something you don't want to do but it does allow for you to be manipulated."

"Why do you not trust him? Is it because Ahmed found him for me, Amy was beginning to wonder why she had thought the Sonya would be any different than the rest!

"Amy, please don't go there I don't have any reason not to."

"You are with Ty, and he never like Ahmed!"

"I don't know if that is true or not but you are my friend and I have never met Ahmed, I have never heard anything that would make me not trust him. I could understand why some people including Ty might not have the best thoughts about him. Remember your family and Ty may have a different point of view and see things different than you; but you have to understand that they love you and want the best for you. Ty has not put him down in front of me, rather he has avoided talking about him at all!"

"Why is everyone so down on him Amy asked? He has only been good to me and given me opportunities I would never have had without him!

"I am not here to get in the middle of that discussion and as I told you the other day on your porch I don't know enough to make any kind of assessment about that. I am here because you asked me to come and I care about you! I told Ty I felt you had become my best friend. You mean a lot to me Amy and I was sad when it looked like I had lost that friendship. I seem to know a different Amy than Ty ever got to meet, as we became friends and I learned more about that Amy it scared me! The woman I know would be very big threat to Ty and I and I told him so! Jack has shared with me the Amy I knew was the Amy he knew before your mom died."

"I am not sure what you are talking about" said Amy?

"When I shared how you were with Ty he all but called me a liar! He said that I was not dealing with the same Amy he had known. You were so nice and kind and you saw the best in everyone. You did not let the little things bother you and I miss that Amy. The day that Ty came over and talked with you I wanted to ask you would be my maid of honor. I would still like you to be if you will."

"Tears began to well up in Amy's eyes as she stared across the table at Sonya. She realized that the things that she had shared about her were true! She had become a different person since they had talked about Ahmed that day on the porch. The question she asked herself but could not answer was why. I don't know why I am acting as I do but thank you for not taking sides! I need people like you and Caleb in my life Sonya."

"I am happy that I can be of some help for you" she said.

"Amy regained her composure, what would Ty say and your family and my family for that matter think about me being in the wedding?"

"Ty and I have talked it over and he has given his blessing. Actually he was the one who gave me the idea about going ahead and asking you! My sisters will be bride's maids and as far as everyone else is concerned, it is my wedding and if they don't like my choices then they don't have to come! I have a feeling they might be more inclined to come because you are there though."

"Ty encouraged you to ask me? I thought that he hated me, the last time he saw me he told me he never wanted to see me again!"

"Is that really what he said Amy," questioned Sonya?

"Well he told me he would not talk to me until I realized how much I had hurt him and others! What about how much he and my family have hurt me! They want to run my life by not letting me think for myself! And they all blame Ahmed for everything!"

"Ty still believes in you Amy, you have to realize that, he like you is recovering from your breakup."

"Back to the original question" said Amy, "if you are sure that is what you want then, yes I would love too. Though I think more than a couple of people may see this as a bit strange, I mean having me, Ty's ex, as the maid of honor."

"To tell you the truth Amy there is not one thing about this wedding that makes sense from the real world point of view. I see it a bit different I am having not an ex but my friend as my maid of honor."

They sat and chatted for the rest of the morning, realizing they were hungry ordered lunch and continued. Sonya shared about the place they had just bought and what Ty had planned on building. Sonya finally looked up at the clock, 8 pm! Amy I am sorry, I have to go Ty has been waiting on me for hours I am afraid, I had better call him and let him know I am on my way. Ty's phone rang but he did not answer, Sonya left him a message.

The girls hugged as they parted ways with a promise to keep in touch and get together again soon.