With the help of Amy and Bryce, Mitch was able to teach Maverick a lot that afternoon. They took the necessary steps to prepare the horse for the new type of way for a rider to get on him, and with each step Mitch grew more and more impressed with his companion. Maverick was proving him that he really didn't know everything the horse was capable of.
Amy and Mitch had helped Bryce get on the horse from a higher level by using a ramp, then by lifting him up on the saddle using their bodies and muscle strength. Thankfully it had all went well. Sensing Bryce's confident body language and trusting the people around him helped Maverick to stay calm too, which was why it was helpful to try all this with an experienced para-rider.
The last thing they were going to attempt was getting Bryce on Maverick from the ground. Amy and Mitch had laid out hay on the ground to help make it more comfortable for the horse, and Amy walked them through the next steps so Mitch could give Maverick the needed cues for the animal to learn to lay down on command. When that part was done, Bryce took the lead while Mitch watched what he did.
When Bryce was mounted and gave Maverick the permission to stand up, Mitch watched as his horse rose from the ground and somehow looked more majestic than ever. The proud grin on Bryce's face, as they were on their feet, was the cherry on the top. It had all gone better than he had expected.
"Wow..." was all Mitch could say as they all began to laugh with relief. "He really did it... - Good boy..." he praised Maverick and pet his neck. There was no sign of distress on him which helped him to relax as well.
"I've been training my core muscles to be able to keep myself upward, but in case your mom struggles with it, there's always the horn", Bryce said and grabbed it. "She'll stay on even though she might feel like falling down at first."
"And these loops I attached to the saddle help as well. Bryce brought them to you", Amy said, showing Mitch what she meant.
"Oh, thanks", Mitch said to Bryce.
"No problem, man."
"I'll show you how to secure the rider to the saddle..." Amy said as Mitch stepped closer. His close presence almost made her get distracted, but as soon as she noticed herself slipping, she made more effort to focus. "While steering the horse, your mom could use sticks I use in liberty training to help Maverick know the direction she wants him to go. They replace the signs she would be giving him with heels. But for that we'd need your mom to train as well, so maybe we'll just stick to you walking him for now?" she suggested.
"Yeah, I think that'll be enough for now", Mitch nodded and grabbed Maverick's lead so they could start walking around as soon as Bryce was secured.
Amy watched as Mitch started walking around with Maverick and followed how Bryce was feeling in the saddle. She really hoped Mitch's mother would like this surprise and it would be a nice little gift for her for her anniversary.
As they had taken couple of laps and it seemed like Maverick was used to the feel of someone else besides Mitch on his saddle, Mitch started walking back to Amy.
In the background, a taxi drove to the yard, and it didn't take much for Amy or Mitch to figure out who was inside. Suddenly the relaxed atmosphere was gone and both of them felt the tension building up.
"Alright, that looks good", Amy said, trying to wrap things up. "Or what do you think, Bryce? Anything we should work on a little bit more?" she asked even though her mind was distracted.
Thankfully Bryce seemed happy with the way things were at the moment and that meant they were ready to finish. "No, I think that went well. Of course you should train this before the actually party, but I'm sure it'll go well. Maverick seems like he is ready."
Mitch nodded, feeling just as distracted as Amy as he heard the doors open and slam shut behind them when Georgie and Katie stepped out and Lou paid for the ride.
"Alright, great", Amy said, exchanging looks with Mitch. Here they went. "If you'll excuse me, I'll go help my sister with her luggage. She's back from New York, and we haven't seen in months", she continued, pointing toward them.
"Oh yeah, sure. We'll take it from here", Bryce said.
"Thanks, Amy", Mitch added, thinking maybe focusing on Maverick and Bryce would be a good way to deal with the anxiety that was taking over him. It was as if Bryce had said; horses were great at offering support and structure.
As Amy left the ring, she felt herself shivering. Not from the cold, but from pure nerves. How was this going to go? When would she tell Lou? How was she even feeling? She really didn't want to ruin Lou's homecoming, but this couldn't wait. The longer it was burning inside her, the worse it felt.
"Hey, Amy", Georgie greeted her with a grin as she handed Katie her suitcase from the trunk. Even though part of her had been happy to leave Hudson behind - due to the drama she had faced with Phoenix - she had still missed her family a lot and was happy to pay them a visit.
Amy smiled at her and then looked at them all. "Hey, guys", she said, addressing everyone at the same time. "How was the flight?" she asked when she came to help the family with their luggage.
Amy wasn't sure if it was the fact that they had not seen in a while or just that Lou, Georgie and Katie had been staying in New York and it was rubbing on them, but they were almost like different people to her even though they were still familiar enough.
"It was fine, thanks", Lou said briefly after she had paid the driver. "How's Grandpa?" she asked right after, focusing her main concern.
"He's fine. Feeling much better, thankfully. He really gave us a scare... Again", Amy replied, sighing a little. "He's inside with Jade and Lyndy."
"Oh, Jade's here too?" Georgie asked. "Awesome!" For her it was like killing two birds with one stone.
"Look at my new sparkly suitcase, Amy!" Katie insisted as she began taking it inside. "Isn't it pretty?"
"Wow, it really is", Amy said, admiring it and smiling as they started heading inside.
Georgie lead the group, Katie and Amy not far behind, and Lou walked after them. The older Fleming sister sighed as she watched the ranch house in front of her.
Home. Again.
Inside, everyone got reacquainted and after a while, things were like back to normal. The house was filled with conversations and familiarity it had been missing these past few months while the family had been scattered in different locations.
Georgie and Jade had drifted on the side and were catching up with their things while Lou explained everything that had happened in New York and with Maggie's to Jack who listened patiently. Katie shared her new toys with Lyndy as Amy watched them play from the arm chair not too far away.
Watching it all, Amy felt like an outsider even though she was present. Not only was the conversation about Mitch weighting on her mind, but the last time Lou had been here. Even though they seemed somewhat okay on the surface, underneath there was some kind of uncertainty lingering. As if they were walking on eggshells, trying not to get into a fight through some misunderstanding, just like last time. As much as Amy wanted to get the awkward conversation out of the way, she didn't want it to come out of the blue, but realized she needed to do some groundwork before it, especially considering her strained relationship with Lou.
This was not some kind of petty revenge that had followed their argument; what had happened with Mitch had surprised Amy too, and Lou had played no part on it, despite her close relations to both her sister and Mitch. But how was she going to explain that to Lou without it sounding exactly like that?
When Lisa came home with groceries, Lou started helping her prepare the dinner as Georgie went to her room with Jade and Amy was able to spend time with her daughter, Grandpa and Katie. She didn't mind it, but she also knew this waiting would drive her crazy.
After a while, Amy got up and walked to the kitchen.
"Hey, Lisa, why don't you relax a bit and let me help with the dinner?" she suggested. "You've been working all day."
"Well, so have you", Lisa pointed out with a smile. "It's fine, I don't mind this. I actually find this rather relaxing."
"Still. You should get your feet up for a minute, you've been running around all day", Amy pushed, and as Lisa watched her, she could feel that Amy's offer - while nice - wasn't completely sincere. It felt like maybe she had an ulterior motive - and it had something to do with Lou. Who was she to stand in her way?
Lisa placed the peeler on the side and washed her hands.
"Well, if you insist", she finally said as she dried her hands on the kitchen towel, feeling like taking up on the offer since it didn't seem to happen often and maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing to have a little breather, considering.
Amy smiled thankfully and walked closer, taking her spot.
"So... how you've been?" Amy began the conversation with Lou after a while as she took the peeler and the potato Lisa had been in the middle of preparing.
Lou glanced at her and thought about the answer for a while.
"I've been good", Lou said, sounding sincere. "I actually feel much more relieved now that it seems like things are falling into place with the Maggie's in New York. And of course seeing Grandpa alive and well helps. I was so scared when I got the call..."
"Yeah... It was... terrible. In a way I'm glad you weren't here", Amy admitted, because witnessing the heart attack had been upsetting.
There was a beat while both of them tried to come up with something to say. Thankfully for Amy, Lou seemed to take the lead.
"Listen... I feel bad about how we left things the last time I was here. My mind keeps going back to it and just... I don't know, I guess I was just under a lot of stress and it made me go crazy. I'm really sorry about that. I shouldn't have taken it all out of you", Lou said, surprising Amy. "I've missed you, but I just... I didn't know what I would say if I'd call you. Maybe you were still mad, which would have been understandable. I wasn't being the best sister."
"Well, you do have a way of knowing how to push my buttons, I'm not going to lie", Amy admitted. "And yeah, maybe I was a little mad at you at first, but over time it... mellowed. I'm not mad at you now. I guess I felt the same way about you. Like, maybe you wouldn't have wanted to talk to me either. Maybe you were mad at me. So... I appreciate you apologizing. It means a lot", Amy said, even the guilt was simultaneously becoming bigger and bigger inside of her.
Was she being the bad sister now? Should she apologize for something Lou didn't even know about yet?
"Okay, good", Lou sighed out of a relief. "As much as I love New York, it's good to be home. I've felt torn between these two places. Like, I know everything's been good here while I've been gone - dad's been running Maggie's and Lisa's taken care of the Dude Ranch, and it seems like all the rest of you've been fine as well - but there's just always that worry, you know. What if something happens? And something did. Grandpa had a heart attack, and it was like it was proving my fears right. But now coming here and seeing him like he's always been... makes me think maybe I was worried for nothing. I don't mean that I wouldn't be taking it seriously, but more like... well, you know what a control freak I can be. I guess I was blaming myself for going. Kind of like when I moved away for the first time and then came back only when mom- well, you know."
"Well, it has nothing to do with you - his health, I mean, or mom's death for that matter. They just... happened. No one's to blame. Now Grandpa just needs to take it easy so this won't happen again", Amy wanted Lou to know. That was not her guilt to carry.
"Thanks, Amy", Lou said. It meant a lot to her to hear someone say that. "I guess I just thought you'd all need me to take care of things, but maybe I'm just caught up on this old formula. Maybe going to New York was a good thing in more than one way. I feel like we, as a family, needed a breather, a little bit of distance, to see who we really are on our own. I love the closeness we share, but at the same time it's not always the best when it comes to conflict situations or stressful periods in our lives."
"Yeah, I know what you mean", Amy admitted. As much as she loved Lou, not having her close-by had helped her take on things that she had never really done before in her life. Things such as promoting her business and taking care of the finances.
Then again, these past few years had proved her that she was more capable than she had maybe thought. With Ty gone so much - and now more than ever - she had had to be even more in charge and make decisions that affected not only her life but Lyndy's as well.
When Amy handed Lou the potato for her to slice, Lou glanced at her hand and noticed how empty it was since Amy was no longer wearing her rings. She remembered that same moment with her vividly. Even if taking out jewelry for good didn't necessarily seem such a big deal for some, she knew how different it had made her feel.
And with Ty being in prison, Amy's divorce was on a whole new level.
"So... Ty", Lou began, hoping Amy wouldn't mind dragging him into the conversation. "How are you feeling about that...?"
Amy sighed heavily. It felt like she was just back-tracking today.
"Most of the time, I don't feel anything about it. At this point I'm just... numb. And then other days I'm angry or sad. It comes in waves. I never know which one of those days I'll have."
"Yeah..." Lou nodded empathetically. "I know your divorce isn't exactly similar to mine, but I still think the loss feels the same, and I just want you to know that the hurt will pass. I know it might not always seem like it, but it will."
"I guess..." Amy mumbled.
"What about the co-parenting? Do you think you'll be able to handle that? Because if you're struggling, I'm here, I'll listen", Lou said.
"I honestly don't know what to think about that yet. I mean, Ty will have access to Lyndy, I'm not shutting him completely out of her life, but... I guess I'll have time to think about that for these upcoming months", Amy replied. "I am almost envious of your situation with Peter. At least he was just in Vancouver and not in prison..."
"Yeah, that part... it's definitely not easy to deal with", Lou assumed, almost feeling like if she had had to get divorced, her break-up seemed like the best way to go - at least compared to Amy's. "I have actually thought a lot about you and this divorce. I mean, I'm so sad things had to go this way, but... I guess sometimes you just have to know when it's better to be alone than together."
"Yeah, well, I just couldn't have survived in that kind of environment anymore", Amy admitted. "It was too emotionally exhausting. That's not what marriage is supposed to be. At least, not to me."
"Definitely not", Lou confirmed. They were preparing the food in silence for a while, until she spoke again. "I'm not going to lie, your divorce - along with mine, of course - made me think maybe love doesn't really exist anymore. Like maybe we are just fooling ourselves. Maybe we are not meant to get married."
Amy glanced at her sister, wondering if she had given up and become cynic. Even though her situation had almost destroyed her, she still wanted to think that it was possible to have that life after love.
"But then... I met this guy", Lou continued, surprising Amy.
"Wait...? There's a guy...?" Amy asked, now staring at her.
Lou smiled mysteriously. "Yeah. His name is Henry. He lives in New York with his son who is about Katie's age. He's a single parent, just like me, and... I don't know, it felt like he just completely understood what I was going through, and when he asked me on a date, I said yes."
"Wow..." was all Amy could think to say. So, what would this mean? Her mission with delivering the news about Mitch would become easier - or harder? Lou had moved on, but had she really? And was she going to ruin her sister's good mood by bringing up her and Mitch?
"I know, I know", Lou said, knowing what Amy was thinking. "It's kind of surprising. But I guess life is. I didn't expect it to happen - it just did."
Amy nodded, knowing all about that. "Yeah..."
Lou noticed the look on Amy's face. "Sorry, maybe this was a bad timing. With you and Ty just divorced..."
"No, no", Amy said quickly, shaking her head. "I'm fine, it's not that. I mean, as far as I know, we've been separated for years, this divorce just... makes it official that we are not - or have not been - a couple for the longest time. I guess I'm just... wondering what this means. You know, for you. And the girls. - Have you told Peter yet?"
"Of course. He seemed fine even though I was a little nervous about it", Lou said. "And the girls have met him. They get along well. I will tell everyone tonight before Katie accidentally lets it slip, or something."
Amy nodded, feeling like there was a lot of emotional charge in the air tonight.
Just then, they heard footsteps from the porch and soon in came Tim and Mitch. Amy locked eyes with the younger man as soon as she saw him at the mudroom, looking pass her dad who was walking in to give Lou a hug.
"Good to see you, honey", Tim said while embracing his daughter. "How's New York?"
"Oh, you know, pretty much the same. But I can't wait to show you pictures and videos from the diner there. It looks amazing", Lou gushed.
Mitch lingered awkwardly in the background, his hat in his hand before he set it on the bench in the mudroom, and Amy suddenly felt more nervous than before.
She knew he might have been coming, but actually seeing him here, with everyone else around, made her realize that telling Lou was just first step. If this thing between them was going to progress into something more, she would have to tell everyone else around here too eventually and it was going to be a whole new level of uncomfortability.
"Mitch..." Lou said formally when she brought her attention to him as he stepped into the kitchen.
"Lou", he said back, giving her a nod. "Good to see you."
"You too", Lou replied.
"So, I guess the food's not ready yet?" Tim walked in to check the pots and pans, thankfully breaking the awkwardness by being so oblivious.
"Not yet. We still have some things left to do", Amy said.
"Well, we have to talk to your Grandfather anyway, so I guess that'll be fine", Tim said, giving the top of Amy's head a kiss as he started making his way to the living room. "Katie!" she heard him shout with delight few seconds later as he spotted his granddaughter.
Lou got back to slicing the potatoes while Amy looked at Mitch as he still stood in the doorway, wanting to come over and talk, but being unable without raising suspicions.
"I'll just..." he muttered, pointing toward the living room.
Amy nodded, feeling a little overwhelmed as she lost the visual of him. As much as she wanted to spend time with her family, this was one of those moments where she would have almost rather been in the barn with Spartan, unwinding from the overwhelming energy.
And not only was Spartan there to help her relax.
She now pictured Mitch there, too.
