Amy was having lunch with Lyndy when she heard someone knock on the door that separated the barn area from the loft. She had just gotten her daughter down to eat and had sat on her own spot as well, so she sighed at the interruption. Then again, their lunch times weren't that formal to begin with - with just the two of them - so visitors would not disrupt it too much.

"Who is it?" she hollered, hoping whoever it was could hear it from where they were seated as she didn't want to get up anymore since she was in the middle of a plate of pasta.

"Caleb."

She paused for a minute, wondering what Caleb was doing here, but then again his visit was almost long overdue at this point, so maybe it was about that.

"Come on in", Amy replied, feeling a little nervous. Even though she had a guess why Caleb was here, she still didn't know what he was about to say. Maybe he was here to apologize or maybe he was here to explain himself, not understanding how he had contributed to the problem. With Caleb, it could go either way.

She expected to see the man's figure ascending from downstairs, but the first thing Amy actually ended up seeing was the man's white cowboy hat that he was waving in the air.

"I forgot to bring a white handkerchief", Caleb explained, "but I hope this will do."

Amy sighed, then helping Lyndy with her juice. "Caleb... what are you doing?"

"I come in peace", the man explained as he reached the baby gate on top of the stairs and adjusted the hat back on his head. "You know, white flag...?"

"I know", Amy said, wondering if that was all she was going to get.

"Permission to enter?" he requested before continuing.

"I don't know", Amy kept him waiting and looked at her daughter. "What do you think, Lyndy? Do you think we should let him in?"

Lyndy nodded a little, then looking at Caleb.

"Okay, well, in that case, come on in", Amy said. "You probably smelled the lunch", she snarked, remembering few times when they were just about to get started with their dinner at the ranch house and Caleb had just so happened to be around to take part.

"Actually, not this time - even though whatever you're having smells good", Caleb admitted. "I came here to just explain myself and apologize. I know that I was part of... what happened with Ty and Mitch."

"Why would you lie to Ty like that?" Amy demanded to know. It had been something that been bugging her ever since the assault, and Caleb had been the only one that had had the answer. "You do realize you were lying, right?" she wanted to make it clear since Caleb had made some accusations earlier about her hooking up with Mitch as well.

Caleb nodded, sighing out of embarrassment. "I do know that... I don't know - I-I wasn't thinking. Or I was, but I didn't think it would escalate this way", he tried to justify his lie.

"Are you kidding me?" Amy couldn't believe it. "Not even after knowing Ty for ten years and knowing the way he deals with things and his temper. Come on, Caleb! He's even fought with you! You really expect me to believe that you didn't know how he would react?"

Either Caleb was lying again - or he was just completely clueless and oblivious to the problem. Maybe because it was Ty's "normal", Caleb didn't see it as anything but that.

"Well, okay, yeah, maybe now I realize it makes sense for him to react to what I said the way he did, but... it's easier in retrospect, right?" Caleb explained, feeling defensive. He looked at Amy who wasn't impressed. "I guess I just... well, you know how it is; I once told you the same thing when we... sort of had a thing and you were having problems with Ty. That I'd fight for the girl if I really wanted her. And lately I've just felt like Ty has given up. So I wanted to put that fire back in him."

"Caleb..." Amy sighed. The man in her presence probably didn't have any idea about half of the story. "He doesn't want me anymore. He was the one who wanted to break up and get the divorce. I think that's pretty telling that he's no longer interested. And I've moved on, too. I mean, I have to, what other option is there? When he came here, with his fists swinging, it was about Lyndy, not me."

"Yeah, but I was hoping it would be more than that", Caleb replied. "You know, everyone wants what you have. I mean, who gets to meet the love of their life when they are young, then marry and have a kid? Not to mention live in a place like Heartland and then have a business together? It just doesn't happen!"

Amy listened and in a way, one could see their relationship like that, but in that case it was very simplified version as it left out all of their problems, all of the pitfalls, the reasons why it had just not been worth it.

Caleb continued. "But it's what we all dream about - and it was what kept me going after what happened with Ashley. You two were my hope. And I guess I'm still holding fast to that, even now, because for me what you two had was true love and if you guys break up, then true love doesn't exist. None of us have a chance."

"I want to believe true love exists, but what Ty and I had... it wasn't that, no matter how you sugarcoat it." Amy understood where Caleb was coming from, but she had to make some things clear. "I'm glad it motivated you, but it wasn't all as perfect as you may think. That's why we are here now and I think it's what kept us together as long as it did; because we too thought it to be something other than it was. - Besides, you don't need us anymore to be your... inspiration, or whatever you want to call it. You have Cass, and you two are happy, right?"

"We are, but..." Caleb said, then looking at Lyndy. "I guess it wasn't all about you and Ty either. It was about Lyndy too. I swore, that as her godfather, I would protect her the best that I can, and I was trying to. I guess I wanted you two to stay together, because it's what I always thought went wrong with my life. Because I always wanted to have my mom, but she left... and it was just me and my dad. Don't get me wrong, I love my old man and he did great, but I just always had that longing... for a family, you know."

Amy looked at Lyndy. She couldn't deny that it wasn't something she hadn't thought about, but just like everything else, it had made her hold onto something that wasn't good for her for too long until she had realized the relationship she was in was going to break her if she kept going like this. In some ways, she was thankful Ty had cut it off. Who knows how long she would have lasted otherwise.

"I get it. I really do. But Lyndy has a family. Maybe not the traditional one, but she has it", Amy said to Caleb. "I come from a broken home. My dad left too - or was made to leave - when I was just five years old. You know all this, but what you might not know is that I always wondered what it would feel like to have a dad. But then eventually, I didn't care. I had my mom and my other family. And it worked out fine."

Caleb nodded a little, listening as Amy went on.

"And you know I've built that relationship with my dad now that I'm an adult, and it wasn't easy. I had a lot of feelings I had not dealt with and it caused a lot of friction. And he didn't always know how to be a good dad either, but we both learned how to have that relationship. Thinking back, I don't think we would have the relationship we do now if he had always been in my life, which might seem a little sad, but it's the truth. I would probably hate him now if I had grown up with him, seeing all the problems he would have caused for our family with his issues. He needed help with his problems and he needed to deal with them on his own. It was not for a child to witness all that, even if I couldn't understand it at the time. But I do understand now and that's also why I'm doing what I'm doing with Lyndy. She deserves that safety too. I can't have poachers breaking into my loft or get calls from hospitals, telling me that Ty has gotten hurt again. I have an option to keep her safe and that's what I'm doing. It's what parents should do; keep their children safe and not think of themselves first and foremost. Even though it's not the same thing as it was with my dad, Ty is still on a similar mission. He needs to figure himself out - and that's not for Lyndy to witness. It's not a burden I want for her - and neither should he, if he really loves her. Ty might not know it yet, but having to face the consequences of his choices and actions is what needs to happen. He's over 30 years old by now and he should know that this is the reality of the life. Maybe it'll take him away from Lyndy, but... he has chosen that path - on his own. He has to live with it."

"I guess", Caleb admitted. "I just hope something does happen. I mean, it sounds to me, based on the conversation I had with Ashley, that they are trying to pin this on everyone but Ty. I mean, I get it, that's how they are trying to get him off the hook, and I take full responsibility for what I did and what I said, but the rest was up to him. They can't pin it all on me! - It has made me realize I need to start thinking before I open my mouth or act. I need to leave this stuff behind. I don't want to end up in prison too, I don't want to lose Cass."

"I'm glad if something good has come out of it then", Amy said, hoping Caleb would stick to it. "But you know, I'm not the only one you should apologize to."

"I know", Caleb said, knowing who Amy was talking about. "I tried to find him, but his trailer at the Dude Ranch was empty. Any idea where he's hiding?"

"He's not hiding, but I think he is staying with her sister-in-law. Or... ex-sister-in-law, I don't know what the term is", Amy explained. "But... you could set up a meeting with him", she suggested, not sure if Mitch wanted to have Caleb over.

Amy got up from the table and went to get her phone so she could send Caleb Mitch's contact information. "I'll send you his number."

"Thanks, Amy. And also, I'm really sorry - again", Caleb wanted to say.

Amy then sat down again. "The best type of apology is if you really change your ways. And I really hope it for your sake - and Cassandra's sake. Who knows, maybe you guys will be the ones we all aspire to be", she added, with a faint trace of smile.

"Maybe", Caleb said, hoping it to be true. "That would be a pretty big plot twist."

There was a pause.

"How did it go with Ashley then...?" Amy wanted to ask, knowing what a sore spot the woman had been for Caleb for years.

"You know, I was expecting it to go worse than it did. I mean, it was weird seeing her again, and in some ways she was just like she used to be, but at the same time I realized I wasn't who I used to be. Something in me had changed. There were no longer any positive feelings involved. I guess being brokenhearted for years sort of helped me to learn my lesson..." Caleb hummed and rolled his eyes.

"Well, at least you can now properly close that chapter in your life", Amy tried to find the silver lining. "She seemed, well, like you said, like she used to be. Like, way back..."

"I guess old habits die hard", Caleb commented. He couldn't imagine trying to date Ashley again, not like that, even though before he had seen her nasty attitude as a challenge. But those days were behind him and he was now fully in love with Cassandra. "Anyway. Are we good?"

"I guess we are", Amy confirmed. "Thanks for coming. I appreciate it."

"No problem. I'm glad we had this talk." Caleb flashed a charming smile. "I'll see you around."

"See you", Amy said before Caleb left downstairs.