In the midst of a hundred people, they stood alone, oblivious to everyone, everything around them. They clung to each other, his arms around her waist, hers around his neck, nose almost to nose, whispering.
"Amy, you were amazing. You are amazing. I am so proud of you." His eyes danced as he looked at her, pride bursting in his voice.
"Thanks." She said quietly, shyly. "Ty. I couldn't have done it without you."
"Nah."
"It's true. You gave me support, courage back then. You still do."
He shook his head. "No Amy. It's you. If only you could see you, like I do."
"Spartan. Me. You were there for both of us. You saved us."
"We are a good team." He relented.
"We are." She pulled back from his embrace, just a bit. She searched his face, his eyes. She wanted to see, listen to his every expression. "I hope you know, you are my best friend. The love of my life."
"I heard that, loud and clear." He smiled, then chuckled. "So, did everyone else in this room."
"So, are you okay with that?" She honestly asked.
He blushed, but whispered without hesitation, "Yes." His expression soften, his eyes dewy. "Amy Fleming, there is nothing better than being your best friend. I love you." She smiled as their eyes locked, both searching, wondering, not sure what to do next. They each desperately wanted to kiss, but waited for the other to decide, to make the first move.
"Ah, Ty." interrupting their moment.
Ty turned toward the voice, breaking their embrace. "Um, Amy, this is...ah, um." Ty stumbled over his words, completely caught off guard.
"Hi Amy. I'm Anne. Ty probably didn't tell you but we are in anatomy class together."
Amy greeted her politely. "Well, hello Anne. Nice to meet you." She smiled at her then looked to Ty. "Of course, Ty mentioned you."
"Amy. I enjoyed your talk so much. You are right, Ty is amazing. He told me all about Heartland, the horses, and.."
Ty interrupted, trying to be tactful. "Um, Anne. Amy's family is waiting for her." Then he glanced at Amy, then back. "So, we have to go. Hope you understand." He smiled, nodded then walked away, guiding Amy off the stage, down the stairs to their family.
Amy giggled. "Nice deflection, Mr. Borden."
"Why thank you, Ms. Fleming." He grinned. She bumped his shoulder, laughed.
Seeing them, Jack approached, smile wide and arms outstretched. "Well, congratulations Amy! You did so good!" He grabbing both of them into a bear hug.
"Thanks Grandpa" he kissed her cheek.
"Oh my god Amy. I mean, Professor Fleming! You were so good. And you looked fabulous!" Lou exclaimed making Amy laugh.
"I love you Lou. Thank you for everything." She gave Lou hug. "You are my favorite sister!"
Lou whispered in her ear, "Saw several vacant classrooms you and Ty might want to check out."
"Oh Stop!" Amy laughed loudly, a little embarrassed.
"Good job Amy. Very professional." Peter touched her forearm, smiled. Amy thanked him.
Lisa pulled her away from Lou, hugged her. "Amy, honey. You were fantastic. So very proud of you."
"Oh Lisa. I am so glad you are here!" Over her shoulder, Amy noticed a man leaning against the far wall, by himself, watching the family's celebration.
"Ty?"
"Hmm?" She looked at him, then in the direction of the man and pointed with her chin. "Is that Tim?" Asked Ty.
"Tim Fleming? Here?" Jack said louder than expect, looked the direction of Ty's gaze. He muttered , "Arg. Well, that's him, all right. For Pete's sake."
"It's okay Grandpa. Ty, will you come with me, please?" He nodded. Together they crossed the room.
"Dad?" Amy questioned. Ty standing silently by her side, on ready mode.
"Hi Amy. Hope you don't mind. Lou invited me." He smiled a cautious smile. He didn't acknowledge Ty.
"Dad. I am glad she did." She smiled, hugged him. "How are you?"
"I've been better. I wanted to call. Really."
"Well. I am glad you came today." Then almost childlike, hoping. "Did you hear my talk?"
"I sure did." Tim said quickly.
Still yearning for his approval. "What did you think? Did you like it?"
"You did good kiddo. I am very proud of you." He kissed her forehead.
"Thank you." Her smile widened, radiated. She relished in his words, his approval.
"The part about your mom was real nice. She would have liked that." He continued.
"Thanks. That means a lot." She responded quietly, missing her suddenly.
"Nice tribute to Jack too." Then he noticed Ty standing there, next to Amy, protective. He sneered. "Ty."
"Hello Tim." Ty replied stiffly, eyes slightly downward, trying to keep himself in check.
"What are you doing here? Thought you and Amy were Splitsville?" He scoffed, trying to get a rise of him.
"Amy invited me." He replied cautiously, answering Tim's sarcasm, without any tone, trying to not inflame.
"You must be thinking that you're something special. Don't ya?" He jawed, then laughed as he stared at Ty. Pushing his buttons.
"No. Not at all." Honestly answering, shrinking a little, apprehensive as to where Tim was going.
"Come on. Ty. Amy talking you up in her speech. Like you were some kind of hero. You loved it."
"Amy was very kind. I didn't deserve.." He mumbled, cornered.
Tim almost spit. "Got that right. You don't deserve it. After that Blair girl..." purposely picking a scab, sowing doubt, distrust.
"Tim, I um,..I mean, we have." Ty clearly flustered, upset. Beaten down by the bully.
Amy interrupted. "Dad. My talk was about Spartan, remember?" She was resolute, ignoring the Blair comment. Stepping closer to Ty, protective, she ready to make her case. Then calmly. "Ty was very involved with Spartan's rehab. He worked with Spartan and me every day. I could not have done it without him." Her body, her stance firm. Ready to counter his next words.
But, he shifted, softened. With hurt in his voice, "You still coulda mentioned me."
"Dad. I love you. But, you were not around then."
"But, I am your dad." His plea was clear.
She didn't take the bait. "Then start acting like it." She challenged.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Surprised at her reply.
"Look. We have to go to the reception. You are welcome to join. But, do not embarrass me, Ty, Heartland or yourself. If you do, this will be our last conversation. Understand." She let out her breath aloud, tried to dispel the disappointment.
"Well. Aren't you all High and Mighty?" Waving his hand around, "Amy, all this has gone to your head." Trying to push her buttons now.
"Maybe all this has, dad." Waving her, mimicking him. "But, all this is the result of my hard work. And, maybe all this has given me a tiny bit of confidence, for once, to stand up for myself." Her spine straightened, her shoulders squared.
"All this...is...crap, highfalutin crap." he waved his hand around again. "Amy. What's happened to you? You've changed. You aren't the same girl."
"You know what, dad. You are right. I have changed. And, I am not a little girl any more." She shook her head in disgust, turned away. Then turned back. "On second thought, you aren't welcomed to the reception, after all." With that she turned on her heel, and walked away.
"You are a piece of work." Ty muttered as he turned to follow Amy.
"What did you say? Who the hell do you think you are?" Furious, Tim reached forward, grabbed Ty's collar as he cocked back his other arm with fist clenched. Jerked back, Ty was pulled off balance and stumbled.
As Tim's fist jetted forward toward his head, Ty ducked narrowly missing the first punch. Tim pull back to strike again, but was accosted by Jack and Peter. "Tim. Let's go." Jack said in a hushed, but forceful voice through clenched teeth. "Ty, take care of Amy. We'll take care of this..." he steeled his eyes at Tim, who shrunk a bit.
Focused on her escape, Amy walked away quickly, up the stairs, and toward the exit. Ty ran up behind her, disheveled, touched her arm. "Hey. You okay?" He asked, panting slightly.
"Yeah. I am fine." Not noticing Ty's demeanor. Wiping her eyes, she took a deep breath, let it out audibly. "It hurts. It always hurts. But, honestly I've come to expect it from him." She straightened her skirt, smoothed her hair. "Come on. Let's go to the reception."
"Wait." As she stopped, her eyes downcast. He gently lifted her chin, smiled into her eyes. "Amy. You've worked so hard for this. Don't let him spoil it. Enjoy it. Be proud of you. Your mom is. I am."
She nodded, closed her eyes briefly, tried to dismiss the hurt, move on. "Do you know where the Dean's Hall is?"
"Nope." He shrugged, making her laugh
Out in the hallway, he spied a friendly face. "Oh, look, there's Dr. Jackson. Maybe he knows." They quickened their pace.
"Well, hello Amy, Ty. Great to see you both. The three of us are becoming a regular thing." He shook Amy's hand, then Ty's.
"Yeah. Headed to the reception?" Ty asked.
"Yes, I wouldn't miss it. Let's walk together."
"Glad someone knows their way around here." Amy smirked, bumping into Ty's shoulder.
"Amy, I am anxious to hear more about HEaRT. Later, I'd to share have an idea that may interest you."
"Really? Can you tell me now?" Amy almost begged. Ty sheepishly smirked, he knew her, she hated not knowing something.
"Well, you know that the horse racing business is expensive, risky and ROI is usually pretty low. Owners continually do cost/benefit analysis to determine whether to race, breed, retire or release a horse."
"Release, you mean, sell it?" Ty asked.
"Yes, sometimes, sometimes, just dispose of it. Usually a horse is released because of poor performance, injury or the like. These horses are my concern as they often end up in slaughterhouses."
"I hate to think about any horse going to slaughter. Is it a big number?" Amy dismayed
"You'd be surprised. Thousands of race horses. Canadian slaughter houses take upward of 60 or 70 thousand horses in total each year, many of which come from the states. And, it's probably undercounted because the horses generally go to auction first." He paused to get their reaction.
"Wow. I had no idea." Ty said.
"Are you thinking that HEaRT could rehab or train these horses for another purpose, say jumping, rodeo or even pleasure riding?" She was already interested.
"Yes. Would that be something you'd be interested in pursuing?"
"Sure. I can see the possibilities." The wheels in Amy's head were turning.
"You probably wouldn't want to take horses with advanced injuries or require surgery, Amy. Unless you had a Vet in staff." Cautioned Ty.
"Looking for a future job, Ty?" Dr. Jackson chuckled.
She smiled at Ty. "You are right. But lesser injuries, poor performers. That would be more than possible."
"Okay, good."
"How many are we talking at one time?" She asked, calculating.
"We'll have to look at the numbers. The end of the season there are always more than at the beginning."
"I could possibly take one or two at a time. Maybe build up to more after we expand our stables."
"Hmm. Okay. Let's see what we can do." He stopped at open double doors. "Ah, here we are."
Though University of Calgary established in 1944, the Vet School itself was relatively new. Established in 2005 during an outbreak of Bovine spongiform encephalitis, Mad Cow Disease, in feedlots across Alberta, research and break through discoveries was a high priority for the new school. The Dean's Hall, with its soaring ceiling, reflected that new, more modern feel with a nod toward innovation. Three of its walls were floor to ceiling windows, framing the student green space just outside and majestic Canadian Rockies beyond. Playful black and white photographs of animals and kids hung in the fourth wall. Despite it's modern vibe, the room was warm, fresh, inviting.
Stopping right inside the double doors of the hall, "Wow!"
"No kidding." Ty agreed.
Inside the spacious room, thirty or forty people milled around, chatting in groups, some waved to them as they entered. Julie Baker, Director of the Canter Project was mingling with Lisa and Jack. A bunch of Ty's classmates were laughing it up with James, Sara, Steve, Maddie and Andy were laughing together in the corner. Nick Harwell, Scott Cardinal, Lou and Peter were catching up. Even Matt, his dad and sister were there with Caleb. Ben, Soraya, Ashley and Mallory too. Dr. Young, Dr. Jackson, other faculty and staff mingled throughout. Also several of Amy's clients were there too.
Amy made a beeline to Lou, pulling away from her conversation. "Lou, how did this happen?"
"Dr. Young, Lisa and I have been planning this since the race. While you and Ty were romancing the gala, we plotted." She teased. "Surprised? Pleased?"
"Both. Thank you." They hugged. "This place is amazing."
"It is. I wasn't expecting it to be so beautiful."
"So, what's going to happen next?"
"Just wait, sis."
"Tell me."
"Nope." Amy pinched Lou's side. "Ouch, that hurts." Lou acted like she was truly pain, then grinned. "Be patient."
Dean Singh took to the podium, asked for everyone's attention, asked for "Ms. Fleming and Mr. Borden to join him at the front." Once upfront, he continued. "Ms. Fleming, I hear that you and Mr. Borden have made quite a stir on the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine campus this week." Everyone laughed. "It's like a full moon, or something. Students have been mobbing Dr. Young's class, renegade videos are being posted, classes have turned into comedy acts, and Dr. Jackson now has more Vet Tech volunteers that he knows what to do with. There is a definite buzz in the air."
"And, it's not just here. My 12 year old daughter, Susan, is caught up in it too. She is pestering me, more than usual." He rolled his eyes, then hung his head. "Amy, she wants your autograph." He then produced a picture from race with Amy, in her silks grinning next to Old Sweet Sage. "She is a horsey girl, she looks up to you."
Amy embarrassed, laughed as he handed her the photo and a pen. "Happy to do it. Have her come out to Heartland."
"She is also pestering me for yours Ty. She is twelve going on 18, after all." He showed a photo of Ty smiling at the gala. Ty turned red, said nothing and signed. The audience was delighted.
"So what do you have to say for yourselves?"
"UCal Rocks! Go Dino's! Go Rex!" Ty yelled out. The room burst out in a UCalgary chant, it's his classmates leading the chorus, singing off key.
"Hit 'em again, ye men of Calgary
Get on the ball and let's go marching down the field
While there's a goal in sight, play on with all your might
'Til the victory's won, get in and fight, fight, fight!"
"See. It's pandemonium here at UCVM." The dean laughed.
"But seriously. Amy and Ty. You two have ignited excitement amongst our students, our faculty, our benefactors. Since the video of your Q and A was posted on our website, our admissions office has received many calls and inquiries as has our foundation. Amy, we expected the same response when the video of your lecture is posted as well."
"So, as the humble dean of UCVM, I want to thank you both. And, invite you to become a member of our UCalgary family." Amy and Ty looked at each other quizzically, having no idea he meant.
"Next, I'd like to introduce Dr. Alicia Young and Dr. Stuart Jackson, professors here at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine." Clapping ensued.
Dr. Young and Dr. Jackson approached the podium. "Thank you. Now, now. Settle down everyone. Amy and Ty, we honestly have never had such good sports, such great presenters, such motivators in our class as the two of you. Thank you."
Dr. Jackson added, "Yeah. Apparently, there is petition going around on UCVM campus right now to replace us with the two of you." He chuckled. Laughter.
"No, seriously. We know that the two of you will do great things in the advancement of animal science., physical and behavioral. And, as a Dean Singh said, we want you to do them here at the University of Calgary. So, the university is giving you each a full scholarship to UCVM." Said Dr Young.
Amy and Ty were stunned, they beamed, "Oh my gosh. Wow! Thank you!" Amy covered her mouth, eyes dewy, Ty grinned ear to ear, relief thinking about the tuition.
"Of course, you are required to enroll in all of our classes." Dr Jackson gripped. Laughter.
"We also are giving you each an iPad for class."
"We've loaded our pictures on them as your screen saver." He showed a picture of them at a Halloween party dressed as the Dumb and Dumber characters. More laughter. "We are happy to oblige with our autographs."
"Amy, we understand you plan to automate HEaRT, so we installed ranch management software to do just that." Said Dr. young seriously, the straight woman of the comedic duo.
"Ty, we loaded the lunch menu for Scrubbs Cafe, the next 5 years." Said Dr. Jackson, aka, comedian.
"Wait. Their menu never changes!" Ty complained, laughing.
"That explains why the install was so quick!"
"Again, we want to thank you both. You are remarkable, both separately and together." Clapping started up again, amongst the Here, Here chants.
Ty and Amy, walked to the podium, more hugs, thanks, smiles.
Dr. Singh approached the podium again. "Thank you Professors. And, congratulations Amy and Ty."
"Next, I'd like to introduced Mr. Jack Bartlett, Amy's grandfather. Jack, come on up."
Amongst the clapping, Jack took less than 3 strides to get to the podium. Bending down to the microphone, "Testing 1, 2, 3. Check." After laughter settled, "Sorry folks. I could resist the temptation. The mic reminded me of my rodeo days singing in smoky bars. This one doesn't smell like beer though." He chuckled at the memory.
"Heartland has been in my family for 6 generations, purchased by my great grandfather Samuel Bartlett. He was a rancher, herded cattle on the 600 acre ranch. My daughter, Marion, had an incredible gift with horses, as Amy mentioned. She gave Heartland a new direction, it became a place where abused and frightened horses could learn to trust again, where scars of the past can be healed."
My two daughters Lou and Amy continue to give Heartland, well, and me, new life, new direction every day."
His eyes got misty. "HEaRT is another new direction at the old ranch. Today in her lecture, Amy gave credit to others in the rehabilitation and redemption of Spartan. But, make no mistake, it was all her. She has her mother's gift, it is a beautiful thing to watch. She practices natural remedies, listening, loving, healing like no other. Amy is the last chance for horses from all walks of life from race horse to plow horses." Many in the audience nodded, "here, here", a few dabbed their eyes.
"Today amongst many family and friends, new and old, I'd like to announce the establishment of HEaRT. Lou, could you come up here please?"
"Hi. I'm Lou Fleming Morris, Amy's favorite sister." She grinned, Amy rolled her eyes but beamed back. "I couldn't be more proud of her. I have seen her grow from a shy, horsey girl with a big heart into the fabulous, smart and successful horse woman, the woman we see before us. We wanted to unveil a new sign, for the new direction." She pulled a sheet off a sign that read ...
HEaRT
Of
Heartland
Amy Fleming, Owner
"So Everyone. Please join me in congratulating Ms. Amy Fleming." Lou motioned to Amy to come to the podium.
Amy beamed with tears running down her face. She quickly walked up, hugged Jack and Lou. Everyone clapped, cheered.
Overwhelmed, Amy was almost speechless, her heart was beating fast. A photographer was taking pictures. "Thank you everyone. For your encouragement, your support and most of all, your love. We're open for business. Come see us." Amy added, she stepped away from the podium.
Though the reception lasted only a couple of hours, Amy was exhausted. She enjoyed chatting with her family, of course, but spent most of evening with faculty and benefactors.
The Olympic trainer, Stewart Forrest, approached her. "Amy, how wonderful to see you. And what a wonderful celebration."
"Hello Stewart! Thank you so much for coming. How are you?" she shook his hand. "How's Caesar?"
"I am doing quite well. Thank you. And, Caesar has performed spectacularly in the Olympic trials. We are hoping he has a real chance. I still shutter when I think about the accident. I am, to this day, thankful to you."
"I am so happy to hear that."
"Amy, I need your help with a new horse. I will ring you next week."
"Sounds intriguing. Talk with you next week then."
Peter and Lou offered to drive Amy's truck home so that she could ride home with Ty. She was grateful, beyond tired. Nestled again Ty in the front seat, "Amy, I didn't have a chance to tell you how beautiful you look."
She shrugged. "Lou put me together."
"Amy you are so beautiful. Whether you are in a fancy outfit or just jeans." She smiled,
"Let me just say that those boots are sexy as hell!" She laughed, and put her head on his shoulder, closed her eyes. By the time Ty turned into the highway for Hudson, she was sound asleep. He knew he'd be doing night check alone.