Ty and Amy's wedding was two days away, and Lou was in full-on dictator mode. Amy wanted a simple wedding, held at the ranch; Ty really didn't care, as long as he was marrying Amy. The guest list was kept to family and a few friends. Mandy and Katie were going to be the flower girls, and Georgie and Lou would be the bridesmaid and maid of honor.

Scott was going to be Ty's best man, and the wedding wouldn't be complete without Jane, who was going to do a reading. All they needed now was for Lou to get the weather to cooperate.

The sun shone brightly over the mountaintops on their special day. Mandy and Katie were adorable in their matching pink dresses. Lou made sure everyone was where they needed to be.

Amy was nervous, walking down the aisle on her grandfather's arm. Her beautiful white dress hugged her curves as she floated down the aisle. When her eyes locked on Ty, all her nerves melted away. He was so handsome. She couldn't wait to become Mrs. Borden.

Ty was mesmerized, unable to take his eyes off Amy. She was beautiful, her long blonde hair flowing across her shoulders. She was the essence of a perfect woman, and she was going to be his wife.

They had written their own vows and had included Mandy, even though she wasn't officially theirs yet. There wasn't a dry eye in the house when Ty pick up Mandy and wrapped his arms around Amy, kissing them both, as the minister pronounced them husband and wife.

They spent their honeymoon at a lodge up in the mountains. Their days were filled with swimming or exploring the trails. And their nights, well, they were spent by the fire, making love and talking about their future. It ended all too soon, and they made their way home to embrace the new life waiting for them.

Their new house was coming along, being built on the land that Jack had deeded to them. They would be living near Heartland in a few short months. Amy was getting the new riding school up and running.

The adoption process was moving along too, but it hit a snag when it was revealed that Mandy wasn't an orphan. Her birth mom had come forward, requesting she meet with the prospective parents before signing off on the adoption.

Amy was worried. What if this woman didn't like them or was holding out for money? But Ty assured her it was going to be fine, just a formality was all.

Unbeknownst to Ty and Amy, Mandy was there as well. She ran to greet them as they made their way to the judge's chambers. Ty knelt and picked her up, giving her a big hug and passing her to Amy.

Amy kissed her cheek, a tear sliding down her own face as she put Mandy down. "It will be fine Mandy, piece of cake. Okay?" She gave the little girl a big smile. Mandy walked away with her guardian as a woman watched from a distance.

Ty leaned into Amy, wiping the tear away and kissing her cheek. "It will be okay, Amy. Piece of cake, right?" He smiled, taking her hand.

An hour later, they left the court house with Mandy. The judge had granted them temporary custody of her until the adoption was final. Ty called Lou, telling her the good news, and she insisted they come for dinner. They hurried to pack an overnight bag for everyone and headed to Heartland.

The party was great, but Mandy was tired and overwhelmed, crawling up into Amy's lap. She fell asleep in her arms. Ty carried her into Katie's bedroom to lay her down and let her sleep.

The next day, they took Mandy to check on the progress of the house and to show her where they would be living. Amy talked with the contractor when he told them he was going to be late by two weeks getting the house done.

She smiled, making eye contact. "Tell you what, Mr. Grant, you make this happen in the time frame we agreed upon, and I'll give you a bonus for your efforts."

The contractor stood quiet, his eyes locked with Amy's. Finally, he nodded his head. "You have a deal, Mrs. Borden."

Walking back to their new truck, Ty leaned over, putting his arms around his wife. "I haven't seen a man yet that can resist those eyes." He kissed her.

They moved into the house on schedule. Mandy's room was a bright shade of pink with a white canopy bed fit for a princess. The great room had a wall of windows that looked out over Heartland and the mountains beyond.

The adoption proceeded on schedule, everyone arriving at the court house at 10 a.m. Amy and Ty were beaming as Mandy officially became the daughter of Dr. & Mrs. Tyler Fleming-Borden.

….

The year flew by, everyone settling into their new life. Amy's therapeutic riding school was in full operation, and the Heartland ranch was bursting at the seams with new client horses.

Ty was teaching at the university and loving it. He was also doing consults and occasional surgeries at the hospital. Mandy was starting school in the fall. She had become quite the seasoned rider with the help of her mom, cleaning up at all the horse shows in the area with her pony, Prince Charming (Prince for short).

Amy was in the barn office, talking to a client on the phone, not noticing Ty as he came in the door. She stood up to reach something on the shelf behind her. Ty caught her as she passed out.

"Amy, Amy." Ty gently shook her. Her eyes opened to his green eyes staring at her, worry written all over his face.

"Hey, when did you get here?" she asked, wondering how she'd managed to end up in his arms.

He shook his head. "Never mind how I got here. What just happened? You passed out. Are you feeling sick?" He helped her up to sit in the chair.

"No, I feel fine, Ty. Did I pass out, I don't remember?" Suddenly she recalled the phone call she'd been on. "What happened to the phone? I was talking with a client." Her eyes searching the area.

Ty reached down and pick up the phone, handing it to her and growing impatient waiting for her to finish up the call.

"Amy, has this happened before?" He needed some answers as to why his wife had just passed out. Amy sat for a minute, trying to recall the past few days. Everything had been going great, except she hadn't felt so good. She hadn't said anything to Ty, because she didn't want to worry him.

Ty insisted he drive her to the clinic. The nurse took her vitals and told her to undress and put on the gown. Amy was sitting on the exam table when Dr. Virani walked in.

"Amy, it's so good to see you. It's been a while. How are you doing?" They talked for a while about how she was feeling and the symptoms she was experiencing. Dr. Virani nodded while she took notes.

"Well, Amy, let's do some bloodwork to rule out a few things first." The nurse drew her blood and told her to relax while she waited for the test results.

Amy sat wondering what could possibly be wrong. She felt so tired all the time and had fainted.

Dr. Virani walked back in, a big smile on her face. "Amy, congratulations. You're pregnant!"

"What? No, that's impossible. I can't be pregnant." Amy laughed.

Dr. Virani looked at her strangely. "I don't understand. What do you mean?" Amy went on to explain what she'd been told right after her accident.

"Well, they told you that you might not walk again either, but look at you now. I'm pretty sure the test is correct, but we can take another if you want me to."

Amy didn't know what to think. Being pregnant would definitely explain the tiredness and the nausea. A smile started forming at the corners of her mouth. "I'm really pregnant?"

"Yes, you are definitely pregnant, Amy. I would guess about 5 to 6 weeks along. But we'll know for sure when we do an ultrasound."

Amy was anxious to share the news with Ty but wanted to surprise him. She told him she just had a virus to satisfy him.

After dinner, she went in to their bedroom while Ty put Mandy to bed. She was tired, lying down on the bed. Waiting for Ty, she drifted off to sleep, still dressed.

Ty came in to check on her, wanting to make sure she was okay. He walked into the bathroom, his eyes landing on the white stick lying on the sink with the big plus sign in the window.

He quickly made his way to the bed. "Amy."

Her eyes fluttered open, seeing Ty holding the test. His words brought a smile to her face. "Really? How?" he asked, confusion showing on his face.

"Dr. Borden, you really don't know? Maybe I should refresh your memory?" She winked at him.

His mind went blank as she pulled him down, planting one hell of a kiss on his lips. He came up for air, his face flushed. "Wow!" His hands pushed her shirt up to reveal her stomach. "Really, Amy?" His smile spread across his face as he caressed her belly.

She nodded. "Yes, Ty. We're going to have a baby."

They waited to tell the family until after the ultrasound. Seeing the baby growing inside her womb and the sound of its heartbeat made their miracle real.

Everyone came over for dinner on the weekend. Amy posted the ultrasound picture on the fridge, waiting to see who noticed it first.

Mandy was getting ice cream out of the freezer for dessert when she spotted the strange-looking picture. Coming out to the patio with the ice cream in her hand, she asked, "What is this?" She held it up.

Lou let out a scream. Lisa watched Jack wipe a tear from his cheek. Ty picked up Mandy and explained to her that it was the first picture of her new little baby brother or sister.

Mandy frowned. "It's not a very good picture, Daddy."

Everyone started laughing, making their way over to Ty and Amy to congratulate them.

The next six months flew by, and the arrival of the new member of the family was just around the corner. They were lying in bed one night when Ty said, "Amy, I know you want to have a natural birth, but I'm worried."

"Why, Ty?"

He paused, taking a breath. "I hate to bring this up with everything going so well, but you had major surgery on your spine. Unfortunately, I know all too well the complications that can occur with childbirth."

She sat, thinking about what he'd just said. It had been years since the surgery, and she hadn't even thought about that possibility. "Really, Ty? Is that a possibility after all this time?"

"Anything is possible Amy. Whenever your body goes through a major trauma like yours did, it can be a weak point for the rest of your life."

She nodded, understanding his concern. "What do you think we should do?" she asked, looking to him for a professional opinion.

"Amy, I'm your husband first and foremost, and anything that will put you in danger worries me. But it's your body. I can't tell you what to do. I can only hope that you understand my concerns for you and our baby. I love you both." He kissed her forehead.

Amy struggled with her decision until they went to her doctor's appointment the next day. Ty left the room so she could talk freely with the doctor. She brought up his concerns and asked how the doctor felt.

"Amy, I do agree with Ty. It would be safer for you to have the baby in the hospital and even consider having a C-section. But it's your decision to make."

She nodded, knowing the window of opportunity was closing fast, and she didn't want to put her or the baby at risk.

The doctor stepped out, letting her get dressed. Amy asked the nurse to call Ty back into the room. Ty walked in, smiling at his very pregnant wife.

He kissed her cheek. "Have I told you lately how beautiful you are?" Amy smiled up at him, seeing the love in his eyes, knowing he had her best interest at heart. She kissed his lips as the doctor walked back in, apologizing for interrupting the moment.

"No need to apologize. I've made up my mind. If it's agreeable with you both, I'd like to schedule the C-section as soon as possible." She smiled at Ty.

She arrived at the hospital the next afternoon, getting settled for the surgery the next morning. She was anxious; she didn't like hospitals much. But having Ty by her side helped.

The next morning came early, the sun shining brightly as they wheeled her into the operating room. Ty sat right next to her, holding her hand.

The baby was a little boy, weighting in at seven pounds, eight ounces. Ty cut the cord and laid him on her chest.

"Oh Ty, he's beautiful." Tears ran down her cheeks.

Ty nodded, a tear sliding down his face. "He's perfect, Amy." He kissed her lips.

"I love you."

When she was settled in her room, Ty went to find the family and to get Mandy. He opened the door slowly, peering in to see Amy resting. He put his finger up to his lips, telling Mandy to be quiet.

He lifted her up on the bed, letting her lean over to kiss Amy's cheek. Amy's eyes fluttered open. "Hey, there's my girl." She kissed Mandy back.

"Mommy," she whispered, "see my new shirt that Aunt Lou bought me?" She leaned back so Amy could see the writing.

"BIG SISTER." Amy smiled. "That's you! Did you thank her?" Mandy shook her head, her eyes looking over to the bassinette. "Would you like to see your brother?" Amy asked.

Mandy's eyes grew wide. "Can I?"

Ty raised the bed up a bit, placing Mandy up next to Amy. Walking over to the bassinette, he picked up his son. He placed the baby in Amy's arms and kissed her forehead.

He stepped back, preparing to take a picture of his family, when Amy's beautiful blue eyes capture his. She held him in her gaze, overwhelming Ty with the love that flowed from her heart.

She was his wife, the mother of his children, the love of his life. Amy had taught him what true love really is, trusting him with a precious gift.

Her heart.

The End