Chapter 11

After a quite lunch Amy and Edith take a walk along the river. Each are in their own thoughts. Edith suggest they sit and talk. "You were quite at lunch today, Amy. Still have a lot on your mind?"

"Yes." Amy tells her then pauses. "I can see in my mind what I did. It's the why, that I don't understand."

" I have thought a lot about what you have told me, Amy. You were a little naive for part of it. Let me explain how I see it. You and Ty were called to help a traumatized horse who's owner is a spoiled, self centered and a chauvinistic brat. He has no connection or concern for his horse. He wants you no where near his horse. The trainer knows you can help this horse, so he brings it to Heartland. The owner who we know as the Prince comes to your place and tries to take the horse but you call him out and tell him he is afraid of the horse. Now think about this for a minute Amy. I doubt that Ahmed had ever in his life been talked to in that way except maybe his parents. This brat has lived a very sheltered life. I almost positive he hadn't been spoken to by a commoner like that before. You made him feel small when you confronted him. He had to take the challenge. You showed him wrong and that you were right. But more important in my mind, you show him something he never had before…..feelings."

Edith gave Amy time to think about that and then continued. " You have a man who has been handed everything to him, on literally a silver plater. He doesn't know what real love is. I wager knows nothing about what friendship is either. When you wouldn't return Adrian's texts, you thought I'm friends now with Ahmed now he can call me if he wants my help. Right? When he did show up and you had Spartan bow to him and asks if that is what he expected from you. You were just being country girl friendly. I believe to him you were flirting. Remember, I doubt he even knows what a friend is let alone how to be one. Didn't you tell me that when in Europe you learned that Ahmed bought Zeus just so that you could fix him. He was setting you up Amy. The money he offered you after you had seen Zeus was like dangling a carrot to a hungry horse. He knew you wouldn't turn him down. The accident through put a wrench in his plains. Ty's devotion to you was much stronger that he knew. He knew he had to get you away from him. He first tried offering to fly you anywhere in the world for treatment. That backfired because Ty bringing you home, worked. Then Ahmed comes to tell you he's putting Zeus down thinking you would never allow that, but that backfired. It didn't seem to bother you. Then Ty's idea gave Ahmed's plan life again. If this backfired on Ty, he would be the villain. Again a backfire. Ty's plan healed you and Zeus. Ahmed then could only plant a seed in your mind to come back to work for him and he waited."

"Somewhere in all this the communication between you and Ty started to brake down. Without talking things out, you each went to get the money for that dream ranch on our own. You took the trainers job at Hillcrest and he invested his money in Chance. You both get upset with each other. Again you saw the problem Chance was having and helped. Ahmed saw that also because he followed you but lied to your face about it. He then asked you to go on tour as the teams head trainer. Dangling an even bigger carrot in front of you. And it worked. Once he got you on that chopper, for him it was like, time to put the pedal to the metal and give it all he's got for the next four months. I sure you will testify to that. But seeing your reaction after his kiss, he still didn't let up. No sooner had you gotten home, he sent you another horse, which he gives to you. Then the truck, then an air line ticket to join him in Belgium telling you he needs his Good Luck Charm back. But you do something he didn't expect ...you quit.

In pure desperation Ahmed flies back to win you. When he met you riding back to Heartland he refused to believe you would quit him. I believe the reason Ahmed didn't take your father up on dinner that night was so he have the time to find that home he showed you the next day. He planed to give that to you if you chose to stay with him. You again put him in his place right then and there and again when you got back to Heartland. I believe Ahmed went out to find your father after he left Heartland to give it one final try. Again this country girl, her man and her family put him down. That is why I believer he sent those dresses back to you that way. You were played Amy. Ahmed played you, but you won. Some of what happen on your part was a little on the naive side. Lou had even warned you about men like him cause she had been to college for 4 years and had spent what 4 or 5 years in New York City. She had seen those type men, you hadn't. Don't blame yourself for being a good hearted person Amy. The world needs more people like you in it. You should be thankful for your man Ty's love, his devotion and that you two do have a great future together Amy, that is if you do the one thing you haven't done yet." Edith stops. She is giving Amy time to think. She wants Amy to lift her head and look her in the eye.

Amy does just that and asks, "What's that?" Amy asks with anticipation.

" You need to sell out to Ty with your heart , mind and soul. You need to become one in purpose. He needs and you need to know, that you each have each other back . Talk things out, work out goals, plan things together, become like one fine oiled machine. I heard what you,Ty and some of your family did for those trapped horse here a fews years back. And looked what happened once you and Ty together with Chance, you won! You became a team and I'm sure those two times weren't the only times you teamed up and were winners. Tom and I have that Amy and it's a very heartwarming and a peaceful knowing. I didn't say feeling, I said knowing. The sun rises from the east. You just know that don't you? I couldn't talk you out of that if I spent years trying. You can have that same knowing in your heart, when you give your complete all to Ty."

As Edith is explaining all this to Amy, tears are welding up in her eyes so fast that before Edith is finished Amy is in full tear mode. She is overwhelmed with emotion. Edith moves next to Amy and holds her as a mother would and rocks her. Edith didn't want to bring up the other key Amy had mentioned the night before. She felt Amy had had enough for one night.

The relief in Amy's heart and mind to what she had just been told was like a light turning on. The weight was off her shoulders. She could see that she was played but that didn't matter. What mattered to Amy was selling herself out to Ty. Making that commitment was the answer she needed to have balance. She was elated.

"I take it Amy, that all made sense to you?"

"Yes it did and I don't know how I could ever repay you. I feel the weight of the world has been lifted. I now see that my not having a full and total commitment to Ty was what opened the door to fear and the wrong decisions I made. I didn't trust of my love for him or his love for me to be that strong . I can see that our not talking started a big mess."

"Talking things out in a relationship is very important to making that fine oiled machine work, Amy. It's just as important to never let the sun go down upon your raft. Never go to bed angry with one another. That so important. When one lets things go and doesn't confront them head on, it's like keeping a splinter in your finger. It will fester. The mind works for most people the same way. Get rid of disagreements as soon as possible and also listen to what your partner is saying. Your hand doesn't ignore your mind when it tells it the fire is hot, does it? Be honest about how you each feel. The saying that a marriage is a 50/50 deal. That is hogwash. A marriage takes giving 100% and no less from each party. If you are only willing to give 50% then you should only except that same amount in return. Marriage is Work!"

"Thank you Edith. You have helped me understand more than I can express. My heart will always be grateful for this time." Amy give her a hug and as she pulls away says, "Would you like to get some tea with me?" Edith nods in agreement and the two walk to Joanna's in silence and with thankful hearts.

To be continued