Lily Borden Dalton is Ty Borden's Mother. She was married to Brad Borden, before he left them. Lily is married to Wade Dalton who abused Ty when he was a kid, he eventually comes to his senses after he divorces and re-marries Lily. Lily let herself think that Ty was better off without her but later tries to re-connect and be a part of his life.
Season 3[]
3x07
Lily arrives at Heartland looking for Ty, she tells him that she's finally left Wade and has a new job in Vancouver. Lily meets Amy who doesn't engage much with her. At dinner, Lily thanks everyone for inviting her and tells them that she's pleased Ty ended up in such a nice place with nice people. Lou goes to pour her a glass of wine but stops her, proudly telling Ty she's stopped. Amy asks where she's planning on staying, so Jack jumps in offering her a cabin at the Dude Ranch. Lily and Amy wash up, Lily again tries to talk to Amy telling her about how Ty has always loved animals and enjoyed many trips to the zoo. She's put out when Amy tells her he's never mentioned it. Ty drops Lily at the cabin and when Lily goes to stroke his face he backs away. She receives a phone call and quickly declines it, telling Ty it's her friend Susie in Vancouver. As Ty's leaving she asks him if he's embarrassed of her, which he says he isn't. She jokes even if she showed off his baby pictures, to which Ty asks if she has any, her silence is telling. After Ty leaves she receives another phone call and declines it. The next day Lou tells Lily she's putting her to work helping with the jamboree, Lily offers to go to Maggie's and get her some more jars. However, when she's in Maggie's Soraya tells her her card was declined and that she can pay later. Lou and Lily taste the jam and agree it's good but not great. When Lou can't get through to Mrs. Bell she decides to go over while Lily waits for Ty to get home from work, but is shocked to learn he's at the racetrack. When Ty arrives home he finds Lily upset and she tells him he should not be going to the racetrack and compares him to Wade gambling. This frustrates Ty and he gets mad at her for trying to tell him what to do after all this time. Lily later goes to confide in Jack and he asks wat happened when Ty was younger. She tells him how the time flew by and she was afraid if she looked for Ty that Wade would get jealous and he would want to hurt him. So she felt it was best for Ty to be out of the situation. Jack tells her how his daughter died and he can't believe that Amy or Lou are better off. At the Dude Ranch Lily gets another phone call as Ty arrives, she answers and tells them to stop calling her, telling Ty it's Susie again. She apologises and admits she was out of line to tell him what to do. She explains that when Brad left they were a mess and felt that Wade would help, but only made everything worse and blames herself for not protecting him. Lily finds Amy working with Lightning Dexter and Amy asks for her help. She texts Amy so that the buzz can be rewarded to Dexter to get him over his fear of the buzz. After Lily leaves Amy checks her phone to see the message "Give me a chance." Mallory is inside on the phone when another call comes in and asks for Lily, Lily hears this and asks who it was. When Mallory tells her it was a guy asking for her and hung up, Lily looks shocked. She tells her to tell Lou she's not feeling well and rushes off. At the Dude Ranch Lily packs in a hurry, Ty arrives and is upset that she didn't tell him she's leaving early. He tells her she never changed and asks if she came to see him, she says no. That she was trying to get away from Wade who has now found her. She leaves a note for the family and Ty gives her his savings to help her out. As they're leaving Wade arrives declaring it a "family reunion". (The Starting Gate)
3x08
Ty and Wade are still in a confrontation Lily stops the pair from fighting and Wade leaves. Ty and Lily go to talk in the Loft, Lily tells him that she hasn't talked to him for months and Ty asks how he could find them. She tells him that she may have mentioned before that he worked at Heartland, he gets annoyed as they have a website with the address and map. Amy comes up and Ty dismisses her. After Jack says Lily will be safer in the house, Lou makes up the spare room for her. Lily is adamant she doesn't want pity and tells her more about her relationship with Wade. She says it wasn't always bad, when he was winning he would treat her well but when he was losing he didn't. One day he went out to get spare parts for his car and she packed her bags and left. Lily later helps Lou, Jack and Mallory clean out the Quonset Hut, they start finding interesting things such as Jack's Grandmother's piano (That no one has used since), his "gum holder" that Amy made him. Lily gets a phone call and leaves, she's talking to Wade refusing and then finally relents and agrees to meet him. Lily sees Cody Dawson leaving and gets a lift from him into town. She meets Wade and head into a bar, seen by Amy, drinking coffee. Wade tells her he's stopped gambling and drinking. He tells her that she's changed and tries to flatter her which seems to be working when Ty rushes in dragging Lily out. Ty and Lily arrive back at Heartland and he asks if she remembers the last time he had to drag him off her, covered in bruises and cuts. He gives her an ultimatum; him or Wade. Lily goes inside and Jack tells her that they're all trying to help her so a little co-operation would be good. The next day Lily attends the race with the others and is happily cheering when she spots Wade a distance away also watching keenly with his binoculars. After Alberta Comet wins and Lightning Dexter loses, she finds Wade collecting his winnings. Angry she tells him he thought he'd finished and he tries to defend himself saying it was a sure thing. He tries to get her to reconsider and even promises to make it up with Ty. Amy, Lou and Lily arrive home and Lily listens about what happened with Dexter, she realises that someone was setting Ty up by salting Dexter's hay a quickly realises who did it. Lily finds Ty in the barn to tell him it was Wade that stopped Dexter winning, he tells her she can go and be with him if that's what she wants. She tells him that she's choosing him over Wade. Wade drives like crazy and breaks the chain to get into Heartland and goads Ty into fighting with him. Ty tells Lily to go inside and she comes back out with Jack, Lou and Amy. Ty stops fighting Wade telling him he's not worth it and Jack kicks him off the property. Lily and Ty are at the bus station saying their goodbyes, she gives him back his money so he can go to university. (The Fix)
Relationships[]
Family[]
Lily hasn't been a part of Ty's live much after Wade's behaviour and dangerous living situation gets him taken away. He also ends up in Jouvie after he beat up Wade trying to protect Lily, even though Lily doesn't stand up for him scared of the consequences with Wade. He used to try to take Lily to his tree fort, when they lived in Vancouver, to take her somewhere safe. He always does his best to try and protect her even from herself and especially from Wade. After freeing herself from Wade she decides to reconnect with her son, knowing it will take a lot of work to make up for lost time.
Romantic[]
Brad was Lily's first husband and father of Ty, Brad left the family when Ty was young and only shows up or gets in touch when he wants something. It's implied that he and Lily were still in contact as after his visit at Heartland she tells Ty that he called her to tell her she'd seen him.
Wade is Lily's second husband, Lily's life was in a mess after Brad leaves and finds Wade. Hoping he'll help put them back together he actually makes it worse, bringing to the mess a gambling and drink addiction. He also hit Lily on numerous occasions, Ty recalling a time he had to drag him off her. He then tried to protect his mom by beating up Wade thus ending up in jail and having him taken away from the family. Despite this Lily stays with Wade for a few more years scared to eave due to Wade's angry and jealous streak. She recalls to Lou that it wasn't always bad, when he was sober he would treat her well, but when he wasn't he didn't. One day he went out to get parts for his car and she packed her bags and left, going to Heartland. Wade finds her and tries to persuade her to come home with him, failing at first he doesn't give up.
Appearances[]
| Heartland, Season 3 | |||||
| #01 | "Miracle" | #02 | "Little Secrets" | #03 | "Man's Best Friend" |
| #04 | "The Haunting of Hanley Barn" | #05 | "Glory Days" | #06 | "Growing Pains" |
| #07 | "The Starting Gate" | #08 | "The Fix" | #09 | "Broken Arrow" |
| #10 | "Eye of the Wolf" | #11 | "Catch and Release" | #12 | "The Reckoning" |
| #13 | "Quarantine" | #14 | "The Happy List" | #15 | "Second Chances" |
| #16 | "Spin Out" | #17 | "Ring of Fire" | #18 | "In the Cards" |
| Heartland, Season 5 | |||||
| #01 | "Finding Freedom" | #02 | "Something in the Night" | #03 | "What's in a Name?" |
| #04 | "Beyond Hell's Half Mile" | #05 | "Never Let Go" | #06 | "The Slippery Slope" |
| #07 | "Over the Rise" | #08 | "Nothing for Granted" | #09 | "Cover Me" |
| #10 | "Trust" | #11 | "Fool's Gold" | #12 | "Road to Nowhere" |
| #13 | "Aftermath" | #14 | "Working On A Dream" | #15 | "Breaking Down and Building Up" |
| #16 | "Wild Horses" | #17 | "True Calling" | #18 | "Candles in the Wind" |
| Heartland, Season 11 | |||||
| #01 | "Baby on Board" | #02 | "Highs and Lows" | #03 | "Decision Time" |
| #04 | "Hard to Say Goodbye" | #05 | "Measuring Up" | #06 | "Strange Bedfellows" |
| #07 | "Our Sons and Daughters" | #08 | "Truth be Told" | #09 | "Challenges" |
| #10 | "A Fine Balance" | #11 | "Somewhere in Between" | #12 | "Out of the Shadow" |
| #13 | "Reunion" | #14 | "Past Imperfect" | #15 | "Strength of Bonds" |
| #16 | "A Place to Call Home" | #17 | "Doubt" | #18 | "Naming Day" |