"I've been waking up at sunrise" "Looking over into your eyes" "And it's all I want" "Getting coffee in the city" "Coming back home to our kitty" "And it's all I want" "Do you feel the same?" "I'll keep you..." "When you smile I feel so alive" "It's been a while, since I've felt so right" "Be with me until the story's over" "Lucky charm, you're my four-leaf clover" "Be with me until we're old and grey" "Every night and every single day" "I've been running through the park" "Trying to catch up to my heart" "'Cause you're all I want" "And I'm feeling rather stressless" "But I always end up breathless" "And it's all your fault" "Be with me until we're old and grey" "Every night, and every single day" "Every night, and every single day" "Good, Bailey." "Now check him back before the next one." "There we go." "Good job, Bails." "Bailey!" "Bailey." "Are you okay?" "I'm good." "The rein snapped." "No." "I know." "I saw." "There's not really anything you could've done." "Are you sure you're okay?" "Let's get you up, come on." "I'll take care of him." "No." "It's okay." "I've got him." "Are you sure?" "Bailey?" "Really." "I'm fine." "I just got the wind knocked out of me, but I'm okay." "Okay." "Okay." "Smells good." "Just trying to mask the smell of horse." "What's wrong with the smell of horse?" "Uh, nothing, just doesn't really go well with chicken, you know?" "How are you, honey?" "Good." "How are you guys?" "Good." "Yep." "Hey, how'd that thing go with Keating?" "Oh, gosh." "Well, I'm just counting the days until he gets transferred to HQ." "Then you can take his place, right?" "I think so." "I think I have a good chance of it." "I'll have to work more hours, but it'll be good for us." "And then you can hire Dad?" "Honey, I don't know if that's a good idea." "It's probably a human resources disaster." "You can't be fraternizing with the upper management." "Anyway, I got good news." "I have an interview of my own." "Really?" "That's great." "How come you didn't tell me?" "Just did." "Anyway, I don't wanna count my chickens before they hatch, but if this does work out, then things might be okay." "Well, once we sell our house, then we'll be feeling a lot better." "That's true." "Hey, how are you feeling, Bails?" "Ari called and said you took a spill." "What?" "She didn't..." "Kiddo, you didn't say anything about that." "What's up?" "Oh, no, really, I mean, it was nothing." "It was not a big deal." "I mean..." "All right." "Wait." "Uh." "I want to say grace." "Really, Mom?" "Yes, really." "I just..." "This has been a really big day, and I'm feeling thankful and I would like to do this, okay?" "Sounds great." "You up for it?" "Come on, kiddo." "There you go." "It's nothing." "Yeah?" " You have a minute?" " Mmm-hmm." "Ari said you took a pretty bad spill today." "Just wanna make sure you're okay." "Yeah, Mom, everything's fine." " You sure?" " Yeah." "And come on, like you haven't fallen off a horse before." "Okay, fine." "You got me there." "I have fallen off a horse many a time." "Oh, I used to have this little terror of a horse." "I mean, I spent more time falling off him than riding him." "I did." "It took me years to get the swing of things, but when I finally did, he was the best jumper I ever had." "Maybe that's where you get it." "Do you ever miss it?" "Sometimes." "I really miss going to see you ride even more." "Wouldn't it be so nice if we could just go to the barn together again?" "Yeah, but I get it." "You've got a lot on your plate right now." "It's okay." "I know." "I just..." "I wanna..." "I want you..." "There is so much I want for you, Bails." " Mom." " You have no idea." "I'm sorry." "It's just sometimes the littlest things make me emotional." "The wind changing direction makes you emotional." "Oh..." "If everything goes as planned," "I will be cheering for you at Nationals." "Promise?" "Promise." "Okay, you should get back to your homework, and so should I." " Good night, Mom." " I love you." "Morning, kiddo." "Oh, geez." "The counter looked a little thirsty, did it?" "Here you go." "Everything all right?" "Sorry, I didn't mean to make a mess." " You almost ready?" " Mmm-hmm." "I made some changes to the course this morning." "If you're going to ribbon at Nationals, you need to be prepared for anything." "You Okay?" "Yeah, I'm just not feeling great today." "Look, Bailey." "Just breathe." "Yesterday does not matter." "You've just got to get back up on the horse." "It's not that." "I've just had a headache all day." "That doesn't sound good." "Do you need some medicine?" "No, I really want to ride, especially after yesterday." "Maybe we should take a break today." "You can take a day off." "I'm really worried about you." "That was a really hard fall you took." "No, I can't." "And don't worry, I'll be fine." "I know how important Nationals is to you, but you are prepared." "Yesterday was just a fluke." "Maybe, but I don't want it to happen on the day." "Yeah, but you can't control that." "There are too many factors." "I know." "I just want to do as much as I can to make sure I'm on top of my game." "You are on top of your game." "I wouldn't say so if I didn't believe it." "All right, how about we just do a trail ride?" "Give me a second, I'll go get Peanut ready." "Take a break there, kiddo, ice cream's up." "Are you trying to tell me something?" "What do you mean?" "You only gave me one scoop!" "I assure you, I would do no such thing." "And you're depriving me of sprinkles!" "Hey, guys." "Sorry I'm late, again." " Oh, just in time for dessert." " Mmm-hmm." " Can I get a scoop?" " Absolutely." "Mmm, thank you." "Well, I've got a ton of homework, so I'll see you guys later." "Okay." "Good night, hon." "Night, baby." "She left in a hurry." "I wonder what that's about." "Something's off." "Why?" "You think?" "Yeah, you notice anything strange?" "The top of your ice cream there, what's on there?" "Uh, they're called sprinkles." "Yep." "She didn't see them." "You don't think she saw the sprinkles?" "She looked straight at it but she couldn't see it." "Maybe she was joking." "Hmm, we should see a doctor." "You notice anything different?" "Any blurry vision or spots?" "Nope, not really." "I'm fine." "But you did hit your head?" "Well, yeah, but I've fallen off a hundred times." "You get used to it." "Okay, well, let's just take a good look and make sure everything's good." "Can you read the fourth line for me?" "E" "Z" "Um..." "It's too dark." "Can you turn up the light a bit?" "It's okay." "Let me just have a closer look here." "How about we look at one of these diagrams?" "Can you tell me what number you see in the circle?" "Seven." "Let's speak outside for a second." "Sit tight for a sec, okay?" "All right, well, I'm a little concerned that she may have an indirect traumatic optic neuropathy based on her asymmetric reaction to the light." "Okay, what does that mean?" "Is she going to have to have some surgery or something?" "Wait, this is happening really fast." "She needs to have an MRI and a CT scan as soon as possible to rule out the need for surgical intervention." "So, what are you..." "I'm sorry, I really don't understand." "Is this permanent or temporary?" "Well, there's really not much we can do as far as treatment to improve the outcome." "Sometimes patients have recovered partially or even fully, but usually this condition worsens progressively." "Are you saying that she could end up blind?" "Like permanently blind?" "I'm sorry, Mrs Andrews, I can't say for sure, but there is a good chance that she will lose her vision and that she won't regain it." "Oh, my God." "I just can't..." "I just can't imagine her not being able to drive a car." "Or see her boyfriend, or go to the movies with her friends." "She can't have this taken away from her." "She's too young, she's only..." "I know, I know, but hey..." "She's not even 16!" "I understand." "But we gotta be strong for her, all right?" "She'll get through this if we're strong, yeah?" "You understand?" "She's going to be so lonely." " No." " Yes." "It's probably not going to be that bad." "Even if it is, she'll get through it, it's..." "You know, just being blind doesn't mean that you're not gonna be able to make friends." "Blindness isn't going to stop that." "No, blindness is going to stop a lot of things, Jason." "She's going to need us more than ever now, and I'm not going to be able to be here because I'm working so much." "Honey, I know." "I'm sorry." "No, but it's sad." "She's just so unhappy right now." "Yeah, well, it's new, right?" "It's new for all of us." "It's tough." "But she's a kid, and she's gonna get through it." "She'll adjust, and I don't want to brag, but she's got us." "She's got you, so she'll be all right." "I guess I feel like she needs something, like, I don't know." "We can't just sit back and watch this happen." "We need to do something." "No, I know, you're right." "We'll think of something." "I mean, you're the genius in the family." "God, you'll think of something, right?" "Oh..." "I can't believe we didn't think of this." "Think of what?" "I can't believe you didn't think of this." "Yes, you can." "A guide dog." "If she qualifies, the dog is for free." "You know what, we have to." "'Cause it's going to soften the blow when she finds out she can't ride any more." "What?" "Geez, you're right." "I didn't even think about that." "Hey, does Ari know about that?" "No, I haven't talked to Ari," "I was waiting to talk to Bailey about it first." "About what?" "Hey, Bails." "Um..." "Why don't you come sit down?" " Hey, here, let me help you out." " It's okay." "I've got to learn sometime." "Yeah." "So, what's the news?" "Well, we're hoping that this is temporary." "Yeah." "But, um, we think it's best right now if you give up riding." "Wait." "Wait, what do you mean?" "You know, it's just a difficult time right now for what you're going through and you got to adjust to it, so..." "Dad, I'm not giving up riding." "Just hear us out, okay?" "It's not fair." "Look, I know it's not fair, kiddo, I know." "Look, your mom and me, we're trying to do the best we can, and we want you to be happy." "So we're thinking, how about a little dog?" " Dog?" " Yeah, like a guide dog, right?" "I don't want a dog, I want to ride!" "I know but..." "Kiddo, you all right?" "You Okay?" "You okay, honey?" "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." "It's my fault, this is all my fault." "I'm so sorry." "No, don't you say that." "Don't you say that." "I don't want to hear that come out of your mouth again, okay?" "This just happened to you." "It was just an accident." "Things happen, okay, honey?" "Here you go." "Have some rest, honey." "Dad." "Yeah?" "It's getting a lot worse, even after just a few days." "I can tell." "Yeah, well..." "Dr Grant did say that it can all happen kind of quickly." "I'm scared." "I know, kiddo." "I know." "Oh, drink it in." "Nature, the final frontier." "Am I right, kiddo?" "How good is this, huh?" " Now..." " Not bad." "Well..." "I got the..." "I got some good news for you 'cause I'm gonna change your life." "Get you back on the road." "Know how?" "With this." "Know what this is?" "It's a cane." " I got it on the Internet." "It's pretty wild." " Mmm." "Look at that." "Pretty neat, right?" "Best that money can buy, well, at least the best that some money can buy." "And it's all yours, and I'm gonna teach you how to use it." "Pretty cool, right?" "Go on, grab it." "I'll help you up." "Take it for a test spin, all right?" "So, come over." "Okay, watch out..." "It's an obstacle, which is exactly why I got this for you." "It's going to avoid those in the future, okay?" "So, what this does is it's gonna let you sense what's coming up." "The way it works here, it's all about rhythm." "So what I want you to do is start swinging it back and forth as you walk forward and you're gonna keep it hovering off the ground." "It's like a clock, like tick tock, tick tock." "There, you're getting it." "So you're going to step with the left as you clear to the right." "So clear to the right, step left." "Clear left, step right." "See you're already getting it, you're good." " Yeah, I think I got it." " Oh." "Yeah, you got it." "You got it." "Hi, I was wondering, do you know where we can find Charlie, by any chance?" "Yeah, he should be around here somewhere." "Are you new to Southeastern?" "Uh, yeah, Bailey here is." "Yeah." "Hi, Bailey, it's nice to meet you." "I'm Kai." "This is my dog Daisy." "Let me go look for him." "Are you wearing glasses?" "You're not." "How can you tell?" "Most of us have some vision." "Let me just..." "Here." "Hey, they're old, but they're good for being outside." "You know, all the dust and bugs flying around gets kind of gross." " I'll be back." " Thank you." "She's so young." "Yeah, but that's good, right?" "Maybe make a friend, huh?" "Oh, hi." "Um, you must be Charlie." "Guilty as charged." "Jason." "You spoke to my wife, Caroline, on the phone." "Right, right, right." "Oh, this must be Bailey, huh?" "Hi, Bailey." "Not much of a shaker, huh?" " My hand's out." " There you go." "Thank you." "Very nice." "Well, glad to meet you." "Hey, kiddo, um, I'm gonna come pick you up later, okay?" "I don't want to stay here..." "You're not going to." "You may be able to resist my charm, but nobody can resist the puppies." "I'm not really ready for that." "Why don't you meet them first, see if you take to one of them?" "Well." "I guess puppies aren't everybody's thing, huh?" "I'm more of a horse person." "Really?" "You know, I worked at a big jumper farm for years before I came down here." "I used to train a lot of the Olympic team." "What happened?" "Oh, life." "Had to come back to take care of my mother." "She was losing her eyesight." "Did she have an accident, too?" "No." "Nothing that glamorous." "Just when some people get old, they get what's called glaucoma." "So you started training dogs to help her?" "More or less." "I wanted her to have somebody that she could depend on when I wasn't around, so I trained a dog." "I saw what a difference it made in her life." "Hey." "Who's leading who?" "Hey, I said I wanted a challenge." "Uh-huh, well, you got it." "Fresh meat over here?" "Don't scare her, all right?" "Bailey, this is Sebastian." "Sebastian, Bailey." "You can call me Thor." "That's what people call you?" "No, but it's what you can call me." "Figured it was worth a shot." "Are you..." "Am n" " Blind?" " Blind?" "No." "I just like to wear sunglasses indoors, you know, like a rock star." " Oh..." "I'm..." " Yeah, blind." "I'm a total, actually." "A total?" "Oh." " She's really new, isn't she?" " Mmm-hmm." "Um, yeah, a total is someone who is completely blind in both eyes." "Most people aren't." "Right." "Sebastian and his sister have been helping us learn how to train dogs for younger people." "Oh, you met Kai?" "Huh." "That's quite the welcoming committee, huh?" "Wait." "That was your sister?" "Both of you are..." "It's complicated." "Uh, yeah, my ride's here, Charlie, so I'm gonna head out, okay?" "Are you going to take Rocco with you?" "I mean, to do a little homework with him?" " Uh..." " Oh, wait, that's how that works?" "Yeah." "Well, usually sighted people foster dogs until they're ready for full training, but Rocco here's a bit of a wild one so got to work with him a little more." "One-on-one style." "But, Charlie, tonight's not gonna work." "My mom's having her boyfriend over, so..." "Okay." "Uh, Bailey." "It was nice to meet you, and I'm sure I won't be seeing you around." "Let's go, Rocco." "He's just excited to have someone new who hasn't heard all of his jokes." "He doesn't get to have a dog of his own?" "No, Sebastian's home life is, well, like he said, complicated." "Coming here, working with the dogs is therapeutic for him." "Gives him a sense of purpose, even if he isn't able to take one home." "Well, the good news is that she doesn't have any brain trauma, or an orbital fracture that would require surgery, but we do need to develop a plan of action to deal with her worsening vision." "Will I be able to ride again?" "Unfortunately, at this time, it wouldn't be wise for you to ride." "It could only exacerbate the problem and cause further injury." "What about school?" "Well, there are options that we can discuss." "Most public schools have programmes to accommodate children with special needs." "And the Florida Division of Blind Services can also help with teaching parents how to facilitate in this difficult transition." "Okay." "That's enough." "Sit." "Here we go." "Get your leash." "You're a natural." "Like to see you do better, old man." "Well, well, well." "Hello, princess." "You want to go with me and we'll go find a dog?" "We'll go shopping." "See if you connect with one." "First rule about being around blind people, you have to verbalize." "Charlie isn't blind, you are, and I wasn't responding to you." "Wow." "Tough crowd." "You ready to meet some other dogs?" "Huh?" "Okay." "Do you have a preference whether it's a girl or a boy?" "No, okay." "How about personality?" "What's your preference?" "Maybe I'll know when I see it." "Okay." "Now keep in mind, these are just young'uns." "They're still having quite a bit of training to do." "Buddy." "Buddy, hey!" "Well, he definitely likes you." "Down, buddy." "Down." "Down." "Down, buddy." "Now let's start with the basic follow command." "Are you right handed or left handed?" "Uh, right." "Perfect." "So you're going to lift your right hand, like this." "And then move it out, signalling him to move forward." "Do I say anything?" "You can, but they're trained to obey hand signals." "This is Indigo." "She's one of our best and sweetest." "You wanna introduce yourself?" "Give it a go." "I'm Bailey." "It's nice to formally meet you." "Now, look, kiddo." "I'm not gonna let you drive off the lot with something that isn't just your speed." "We're going to keep going until we find one you really like, okay?" "Okay." "Good." "To get his attention, just tap on the side of your leg." "With a little force so he can hear it." "That's it." "What do you think?" "She's nice, I guess." "You're not the most enthusiastic person" "I've ever taught." "Point ahead." "Forward." "I'm sorry." "I guess this just wasn't meant to be." "I'm not going to give up." "Seriously, you don't owe me anything." "No, I don't, but you owe it to yourself to give it a shot." "And if it means that I need to work harder, I will." "It's not a big deal." "I'll figure it out on my own." "Do you know what the number one benefit of a guide dog is?" "Companionship?" "No." "Improved mobility and independence." "Now, think about how slowly you have to move now, when you're constantly afraid of missing a step or knocking your foot against something." "Imagine a lifetime of that." "'Cause that's what your life's going to be." "It's incredibly challenging, but it's happening." "You need to accept it, move forward." "But here's the upside, I'm here." "I'm here for you, and I will make sure you get the companion you need." "We looked at like a hundred dogs today." "We saw nine, not a hundred." "You know what?" "I have an idea." "You're not ready for a guide dog yet, but come back next week and I think I'll have the perfect new friend waiting for you." "Okay." "Okay, but that's it." "After that, I'm done." "And you have to back me up to my parents." "I will." "I will." "I have my hand out." "Ah." "Thank you." "See?" "We're already making progress." "I don't know." "It all kind of feels the same to me." "It's okay." "You just got it backwards." "So, feel this." "The fourth dot is empty, it's an" "If the third dot is empty, it's a" "So this says "hello," not "Jell-O."" "Okay." "Hey, kiddo, look what I got you." "Oh!" " What is it?" " It's a braille keyboard." "Pretty neat, right?" "Yeah?" "I don't think it's gonna hook up to my computer." "Not exactly, but it's retro." "I thought it might help you learn braille or something." "I looked everywhere for this." "Do you use one of these?" "Oh..." "I can see, so..." "No." "No, I mean, with your clients and..." "Um..." "I guess I just don't have that many clients." "Most people don't learn braille." "Most people aren't blind." "Uh, there are plenty of visually impaired people." "Almost 300 million in the world." "But most of them just don't learn braille." " Really?" " Really." "Wait." "Wait a minute." "What about bathrooms?" "Uh..." "Mmm?" "You know, bathrooms, signs, they have braille on them." "What's that about?" "Have you actually seen somebody go up to one of those signs?" "I mean..." "Not..." "Not..." "No, but..." "Most people just ask the first time that they go somewhere new, and then they remember which side." "Yeah, that makes sense." "Huh." "Uh, well, uh, you guys look like you're doing great on your own." "So I'll tell you what," "I'm gonna put this in the garage, and, you know, probably gonna be worth a million dollars one day." "Lesson learned, huh?" "So, the fourth dot is empty." "So it's an H." "What happened, honey?" "You're on the floor." "Huh." "I was just trying to go to the bathroom and..." "Right here on the floor?" "Mom." "That's gross." "I'm kidding." "Oh, you just spilled some water here." "Let's clean it up with your jeans." "I don't want any help." "I just want things to go back to the way they were." "This isn't fair." "I know, honey, but you can't go back to the way things were." "It's just not gonna happen." "You just have to deal." "Right?" "What did I do to deserve all this?" "What did I do?" "I don't know." "Things just happen in life." "But you're a strong girl." "We're getting through this." "Okay, my sweetness?" "I love you." "You didn't do anything." "It was an accident." "It just happened, okay?" "So, do you still have to go to the bathroom?" "You wanna go right here?" "No." "Are you sure?" "Okay, come on." "All right." "Okay, so here are your clothes from dark to light." "This way it'll make it easier for you to match." " Thanks, Mom." " Okay, you're welcome." "I love you." "I love you." "How are things going with you?" "Could be better." "You wanna talk about it?" "I just..." "I feel like I can't do it." "I just..." "I feel like I can't do anything by myself any more." "I spent my whole life trying to grow up and trying to become an adult, and now I'm back to square one." "Yeah." "It's all part of the process." "I mean, I went through the same thing, everyone does." "I can't even go to the bathroom by myself any more." "Just..." "You know, we all start out at a certain point, and eventually we really get used to using our other senses." "Yeah, well, I guess my Spidey-senses haven't quite kicked in yet." "A joke." "She told a joke." "I knew that I would get to you and crack you eventually." "It was my doing, actually, thank you very much." "Uh-huh." ""Tomato, tomayto."" "My hand is out, come, darling." "We're going shopping." "Here we go." "Okay." ""Tomato." I've literally never heard someone say that word." "Where are we going?" "I've been working on this project just for you." "And I'm gonna have to have you keep a low profile because I don't want other people to be, you know, jealous." "Okay." "You're gonna need these." "Um..." "I don't think they're gonna help my eyesight much at this point." "Well, they might." "Bailey, meet Apple." "Apple, meet Bailey." "Is that a horse?" "She's so tiny." "A little rough around the edges, but should polish right up." "She's learning the commands quickly." "Wait." "You've been teaching her guide commands?" "Yeah, I mean, she's smart." "She's gonna be a good companion for you." "Me?" "She's for me?" "Yeah." "You said you were more of a horse person than a dog person." "My parents aren't gonna let me have a horse." "She's a pony." "My parents are never gonna let me have a pony, either." "Well..." "Where would I even keep her?" "Wherever you would've kept a dog." "Like, in the house?" "She wouldn't do you much good if she was outside and you were inside." "Look, I really appreciate the gesture but..." "Hey." "I mean, she's really cute but..." "Okay, well, maybe I can just train with her here, but I don't think it'll work out in the long run." "My parents will never let me keep her, so I don't wanna get too attached." "I think she's already a little attached to you, kid." "Gone for so long" "Lost at sea" "I never thought that this love could be" "It's been too much time with no land in sight" "Nearly gave up till you lit up the night" "You make me feel stronger" "You are my home, my anchor" "So I can shoot for the stars" "You make me feel stronger" "Well..." "My hush, look at that." "She is beautiful." "Behold the new and improved Apple." "I'll say." "What, you run her through the car wash?" "Something like that." "Yeah, you know, she must really like you 'cause she's an ornery little cuss usually." "I think it's safe to say she likes me." "Oh!" "I got a present for you." "You don't have to keep them both." "Just take one if you want." "I like both." "She's not an actual guide." "You like both?" "Well, bye, honey." "Bye, Apple." "Hey, Sebastian." "Rocco, sit." "Sit." "Sit!" "Rocco, sit." "Sit." "Stay." "So, how's training going?" "Better than yours, apparently." "Hey." "Can I?" "It's okay." "Oh!" "That is not a dog." "Very astute." "Mmm!" "Ugh!" "That's not nice." "If you could see how cute she is, you wouldn't be nearly as disgusted." "So you've turned this around on me?" "Making it my fault for being blind?" "Basically." "What is it?" "It's a she." "And she's a horse." "Like a baby horse?" "Miniature horse." "Well, you're cute." "Never heard of a guide pony before." "She's not really a guide." "She's a companion." "I wish you could see her right now." "Well, let's take a picture." "Uh..." "This doesn't feel right." "Let's go over here." "What?" "So, why are you taking a picture?" "Uh..." "I like photography." "You can't see that." "Yeah, but it doesn't prevent me from enjoying things." "Small face." "Face centred." ""Take picture" button." " Let me see." " I'll send it to you." "It won't do me much good." "What do you mean?" "Sure it will." "Is this just an excuse to get my number?" "Never mind." "No." "No, send it to me." "5270102." "Send." "Describe it to me." "Hmm." "It looks good from what I can tell." "That is a terrible description." "Well, what do you want me to say?" "Not that." "I mean..." "How would you want someone to describe it to you if you couldn't see anything?" "So you could, you know, form the images in your mind." "That's what you're thinking when you're taking photos?" "No, I'm thinking about all my other senses." "I'm thinking about what I'm smelling, how I'm feeling, what I'm thinking, you know." "I guess that makes sense." "Yeah, and then I usually put all that stuff down on there in braille." "Wait, you know braille?" "Yeah, I do." "Come on." "Here." "Yeah, I know braille." "It's kind of a dying art, but what can I say?" "I'm kind of a hipster." "Anyway, I saw a photographer do something similar, and liked the idea of creating photos that sighted people can see, but still need blind people to understand the whole picture." "That's really cool." "Don't you ever worry about the composition of the lighting or anything like that?" "No." "See, the thing is that most photographers let their vision get in the way." "That doesn't happen when you can't see." "You're boring Apple with all your artsy-fartsy talk." "Oh." "Well, my apologies to the miniature steed." "She did not accept your apology, but I'm sure she'll come around." "They always do." "Just so you know, I'm rolling my eyes at you right now." ""Y", so..." " Bailey." " Good." "You're doing awesome today." "Thanks." "I'm starting to get the hang of it I think." "It's not that bad." "Why the change of heart?" "I thought for sure, the last time I was here, you'd be done by now." "I don't know." "I guess I just think it's cool." "So, Why'd you learn if no one uses it?" "Well, when I was in the ninth grade I found out I have RP." "Retinitis pigmentosa." "So, who knows when, but eventually I won't be able to see." "They can tell you in advance?" "Yeah." "I don't know what would be worse, having it happen all of a sudden like me, or having it looming over you, knowing that it's gonna happen but never knowing when." " Yeah, come in." " Hi." "Hi." "I've got to get going but you keep these and practice, okay?" " Okay, I'll see you in a few days." " Okay." " Bye." " Bye." "So, how's it going, hon?" "Better." "Yeah, much better." "Really?" "That's good to hear." "Yeah." "And how about with Charlie?" "Has he matched you with a guide dog yet?" "Uh, kind of." "Kind of?" "Uh, what does "kind of" mean?" "Well, you know I can't actually have a guide dog yet." "Oh, I thought they said they would make an exception for you." "Charlie thinks it's a big responsibility for me to take on right now." "He thinks that I should wait to be matched up with a guide dog of my own, and I agree." "Okay, all right." "So, are you enjoying yourself there?" "Yeah, everyone's really nice." "Oh, by the way, I spoke with Ari today." "Was she mad that I didn't call?" "No, not at all." "In fact, she did say if you wanted to come down to the barn this weekend, that you could be around the horses." "Really?" "I..." "That would be amazing." "I'd love that." "Oh, shoot, okay, I've got to take this, but don't go anywhere." "I'll come right back, and we'll set up an appointment with her." "She's suddenly a different kid." "Yeah." "I guess she's adjusting." "I mean, I didn't expect it to happen this quickly, though." "No, no." "Me neither." "I just..." "Maybe it's Charlie and those dogs, huh?" "Oh, yeah." "Do you really think it's a good idea taking her to the barn?" "Maybe, she's..." "I mean, she's making such great progress." "I don't see anything wrong with it." "She was really excited when I brought it up to her." "Mmm." "Sure." "I'm just worried that she's gonna start missing something again, you know?" "Jason." "She's always gonna miss her horses." "But keeping her away from them is not gonna be any easier for her, and she's gonna end up resenting us for it." "Yeah, you're right." "Who said life was an easy game?" "You pick up the pieces and you start again" "And who knows where and who knows when?" "It's like a mountain" "You know" "Trying to tell the river not to flow" "Who said faith was a fickle thing?" "You can plan your moves, but you'll never win" "And I don't wanna lose again" "Forward." "Come on, girl." "Girl, stop being such a little piggy." "Take picture." "Sebastian?" "Your hearing is getting better." "Maybe you're just getting clumsier." "Doubt that." "Hey, Apple." "Hey, I sent you a text last night." "Uh, I can't really read texts any more." "Don't you have Voice Over?" "What's that?" "Come on." "Give me your phone." "No." "I can't exactly sleuth through it without you noticing." "Come on." " Okay." " I'll help you, come here." "Sorry, Apple." "Way to drop my phone." "Yeah, sorry." "Oh, wow, you've got the newest model, huh?" "You know this can take 5 megapixel selfies." "The clarity is supposed to be incredible." "Yeah, that's why I bought it." "Four mega-whatevers just wasn't enough." "Pixels, it's not rocket science." "Here, check it out." "Please turn on Voice Over." "Okay." "Now what?" "Now, it will read everything to you." "This isn't a death sentence, you know." "Yeah, I know." "I'm just trying to get used to everything." "I get it." "It'll get easier, just use..." "Hey, Bailey!" "Ready to go?" "I got to go" "Okay." "Come here, girl." "I'll see you later though." "Probably not." "I'm rolling my eyes again, by the way." "Come on, Apple." "Apple." "Hey, kiddo!" "Let's go, come on." "Dad, hold on." "Apple!" "All right." "Apple. no." "Bailey!" "Come on, we're going to be late." "This is not happening." "Put a pep in that step, missy, come on!" "Hey, hey, hey!" "What are you doing?" "Front seat, miss, you know that." "Yeah, sorry, Dad." "Come on." "Okay, cool." "Ready?" "Yeah." "All right, strap in." "Let's do it." "So, how did today go?" "Good." "Good to hear." "Hey, kiddo, uh, I don't know if your mom and me say it enough, but we're really proud of you." "It's just..." "It's not easy to go through what you're going through and smile about it." "Of course, there's a horse." "Why is there a horse in my car?" " She's my guide companion." " Oh!" "And she is not coming home with us." "It was your idea to get me a guide dog." "Technically it was your mother's, and she said guide dog not guide horse." "What's the difference?" "Okay, try to follow me here, one is a dog and the other is a horse!" "I don't see the problem." "Do not start with me, young lady, I cannot take it today." "You totally missed my blind joke." "Oh." "No, hey, no!" "This is no laughing matter." "Your mother is not going to be okay with this, you understand?" "Hey, guys, I'm home." "Oh!" "My goodness!" "Look, see?" "See, I told you." "Honey, I just want you to know, before you sit down, that this was entirely Bails' idea." " Nothing to do with..." " Why is there a horse in our house?" " I don't know." " Guys, it's a miniature horse." "What is a miniature horse doing in our house watching television?" "We're gonna talk about it." "Her name is Apple and she's my companion." "Really?" "That exists?" "You can have a companion horse?" "No." "Yes!" "Yeah." "Well, no, not really." "But Charlie trained her for me." "Really?" "That's amazing." "Wait, wait, wait." "Caroline, you're okay with this?" "I mean..." "I guess, she's precious." "Okay, we're gonna keep a horse in the house." "You're okay with this?" " You're not okay with this?" " So nice to meet you." "I mean, I've never heard of a horse in the house, but, you know..." "Me too." "Charlie trained her, so..." "Hello, Apple." "Are you going to be my new daughter?" "Keep a horse in the house?" "Just..." "Okay, Caroline, we should probably talk in the kitchen for a second." "Why?" "What do you want to talk about?" "Do you not want the horse?" "I'm not saying I don't want the horse." "I'm saying it's..." "Look at you." "Hi, Apple." "I vote she stays." "I vote she stays, too." "Okay." "Two-to-one, let's do that." "Great." "Okay, Apple, welcome to the family." "I guess she stays." "I love you already." "Oh." "You have a nightly routine, too?" "Okay, okay." "But this stuff is really expensive." "Almost got it." "Oops." "I know they're in here somewhere." "Found them." "Come here, Apple!" "Good choice." "Can't have you walking around naked." "Don't you two look like two peas in a pod, huh?" "She copied me." "And prints make it easier to hide spills." "What's for breakfast?" "Uh..." "ls oatmeal okay?" "I don't know." "How does oatmeal sound, Apple?" " Sounds good." " All right." "Oatmeal." "For you and the horse." "Oh." "There you go." "And you can have yours over here." " Dad!" " What?" "She's not a dog." "You said she was just like a dog." "Yeah, but that's when I was trying to convince you to let me keep her." "Up here." "I see what this is." "Okay, we'll just put it on the table there." "Good girl, Apple." "Sure does eat a lot." "Don't listen to him, you're perfect." "Is this normal?" "ls this normal for you?" "Hungry as a horse." "She's eating enough for two horses." "She's growing." "Yeah, horizontally." "Mom, what's wrong with her?" "Just because I can't see doesn't mean I can't hear." "Can I pet your Pony?" "Can I, too?" "She's working right now." "Yeah, never mind." "Of course you can pet her." "So cute." "How old is she?" " She's three." " She's adorable." "Oh." "Hi, Bails." "How's it going?" "Good." "Sorry I didn't call you." "It's been overwhelming." "No, no need to apologise." "I completely understand." "Who's your little friend here?" " This is Apple." " Hi, Apple." "She's not a jumper, but at least I finally got a horse." "Yeah." "She has a much more important job though." "And I'm sure she could learn to jump." "Really?" "Yeah." "Not stadium jumps or anything, but if she can learn all of those commands, she can learn to jump little things." "Like, logs?" "Yeah, basically." "Which horse is this?" "Um, it's Kole." "Your favourite." "Oh." "Do you think I could sit on him, just one more time?" "Bailey, I don't think that's such a good idea." "Just once." "Please?" "It's so different, being up here and not being able to see." "It's like I'm seeing different things." "What do you mean?" "Like I'm seeing with different senses." "It's like Sebastian with his photography." "I don't get how I was so okay with people watching me riding before." "But now, because of all this, it's like everyone's staring at me." "I guess the difference is, now when people are looking, it's because they feel sorry for me." "Let's get you down, Bails." "So, are you going to tell me what's wrong?" "Maybe I should start with what's right, since that seems to be a shorter list." "I'm sure it can't be that bad, Bailey." "This just wasn't how it was supposed to be." "I was supposed to be leaving for Nationals in a week, and I can't even sit on a horse, much less take a jump." "Well, did you have to sell your horse?" "No." "We were leasing one from the barn." "Kole, but he wasn't really mine." "Well, now you have a horse of your own." "You got to like that." "It's a step up, right?" "All right, I know." "Not literally, of course." "But..." "Yeah." "Apple's awesome, but..." "And you have parents that are really supportive." " Yeah, but..." " It's more than most people have." "Yeah, I get that, but it still sucks." "Sucks." "At least you got 15 years to see things." "Yeah, but that makes it even more difficult." "You don't know what you're missing." "Oh." "So you think I miss it less?" "Yeah, I guess." "If you honestly think that I have it easier, Bailey, you're not nearly as smart as I thought you were." "Think about it." "When someone says "horse," you at least know what that looks like." "I have no idea." "I have to make it up in my head from scratch." "And I know I'm probably way off base most of the time." "When someone says, "The sunset's beautiful,"" "you know what a sunset looks like." "I" "I never will." "And that's not easy, Bailey." "Wait, are you mad at me?" "Yeah." "Yeah, I am." "You know how bad I would kill to be in your shoes?" "To have experienced sighted life for 15 years?" "To have a family who cared about what I was going through?" "To them, I'm just a burden." "Can't even bring home a guide dog because it stresses my mom out to have a dog in the house." "I have to come here for that." "You know, I don't carry the weight of that on my shoulders." "I deal with it." "Like you do when life happens." "Grow up, Bailey." "Come on, Rocco, let's go." "Wait, Sebastian, I'm sorry." "I didn't think about it like that." "I..." "I didn't know all of that." "Here." "Rocco, let's go." "Come on." "What is this?" "Sebastian, what does it say?" "Hey, can you, uh, call my parents?" "My battery died and I really need to go home." "Yeah. ls everything okay?" "Can I ask you something?" "I'm guessing this is about Seb?" "Mmm-hmm." "He's tough, Bailey." "Yeah." "No, really." "I don't know him that well." "I mean..." "We didn't grow up together, I don't think anyone knows him that well." "Wait, what do you mean?" "He just doesn't open up to people." "I mean..." "All that humour, I think it's a defense mechanism, you know." "No, no." "I meant about not growing up together." "He hasn't talked to you about that?" "I'll take the silence as a no." "Yeah, this is what I'm talking about." "He doesn't tell people things." "He and my mom left when we were little, before I lost my vision, too, and I moved with my Dad." "We only really started getting to know each other a couple of years ago when they moved back." "That makes so much more sense." "It's really been difficult for our relationship, especially since he considers me the lucky one." "I guess he's been through a lot then, huh?" "Yeah, he has." "He's stubborn though, so he holds on to things forever." "That's great." "Hey, it's me." "I'm about to go to bed, but I was just calling to say that" "I'm sorry for everything that happened today." "Um, I was being really petulant." "I actually just learned what that word meant today." "It means to be overly sensitive or annoyed by something that doesn't matter." "And that's what I was doing, I was being petulant, really petulant." "Sebastian, that's not me, that's not who I am, I'm not a petulant person." "You've shown me that this doesn't have to be a life sentence." "Well, technically it is, but that doesn't mean that I can't enjoy life to the fullest." "You're an inspiration to me." "That sounds really clichéd, but it's true." "And since I've been rambling on about all of this and you probably won't even listen anyway," "I just want to say how much I need you in my life right now." "So, yeah." "Anyway, uh, good night." "Okay." "Hello." "How much of that did you hear?" "Uh, most of it." "What happened?" "It's a long story." "Longer than that voice mail?" "No, probably not." "Who was that?" "S..." "Sebastian." "Excuse me, what did you say?" "Sebastian?" "Okay." "Who is Sebastian?" "He's a boy." " He's a boy, okay." " Yes, Mom, a boy." "Okay, let's talk about boys." "And?" " I met him at Southeastern Guide Dogs." " Mmm-hmm." "And he's really great, but I think I just messed everything up with him." "Which isn't surprising, since I've been messing up a lot of things lately." "Bails, you are way too hard on yourself." "I'm sure he'll come around, they usually do." "Maybe." "What about your friends?" "Have you thought about reaching out to them?" "Yeah, I will." "It's just that now, whenever I go anywhere or do anything," "I feel like everyone's staring at me, and if I mess up or anything, they'll all see, and that's scary." "Hmm." "I understand." "Yeah, I'm sure that's scary." "You know..." "It's just gonna take time, really." "And luckily, you've got that little monster to keep your spirits up." "Yeah, I don't know what I'd do without her." "Oh, gosh, you'd be a bigger pain in my butt." "Mom!" "I'm kidding!" "A little." "You want to know something cool?" "Yeah, what?" "I still dream in colour." "That's nice, right?" "That's so cool." "Hmm." "What should we dream about tonight?" "Rainbows." "Rainbows?" "Rainbows and..." "Sebastian." "Okay, let's dream about Sebastian." "Mmm." "He's cute." "What in the world?" "This is Apple, my guide companion." "Well, this is certainly a first." "How are things coming along, guys?" "Have we noticed anything different?" "Decreased vision or visual field deficits?" "Sometimes I'll wake up and everything's really blurry, like it's almost all black and white." "I can't really tell what colour things are any more." "It just all looks the same." "Those are common symptoms." "Would you say it's getting worse?" "Uh..." "Yeah." "Okay, how much are you able to see right now?" "Like..." "Um..." "Not very much." "Can you see how many fingers I'm holding up?" "All of them?" "Five, I mean." "So, what exactly can we do, Doctor?" "There's really not that many options left." "Some doctors have tried administering strong corticosteroids, which is synthetic drugs used to treat a number of different conditions, but it's had mixed results and it's not really a proven method of treatment." "We can try it, right?" "It's a good idea, huh?" "Do you think it's worth it?" "I personally don't think it's worth the risk of side effects, but I'm willing to do whatever you guys prefer." "Bailey, what you think?" " I don't care." " This is important, kiddo, come on." "Honestly, whatever you think is for the best." "Come on." "What are you doing?" " Bailey!" "You scared me!" "You're not supposed to do that." "I could've gotten seriously hurt." "Hey." "You can't be mad at me when I'm already mad at you." "So, you're still upset?" "No." "I can't exactly ask you to accept the difficulties in your life and then refuse to accept the difficulties in my own." "I shouldn't have brought that up." "If only you didn't have this catastrophic incident taking over your life." "Are you done?" "No." "I was going to go into the whole" ""to be or not to be" soliloquy." "You've read Hamlet, right?" "I'll take a verbal response for $1,000, please." "No, I haven't." "Well, you should." "I don't think it would be the same, listening to some actor recite it on an audio tape." "You know people back then didn't have copies to read, right?" "They usually would watch or listen." "And don't get me started with the whole "Boo-hoo, I can't watch" thing." "Okay, I'll listen to it." "You better." "Seriously." " I will." " Pinkie promise me." "I don't know where your pinkie is." "It's right in front of you." "Probably." "Okay." "Where you at?" "Oh." "Oh." "Oh, that's your nose." "I'm way off, that's your face." "See what I mean?" "You don't need sight to be able to read people." "Yeah, but you can't just go up to people and feel their faces." "There you go again with your naysaying." " Okay, but..." " Shh." "Sebastian?" " Yeah?" "What did your photograph say?" "I'll tell you eventually." "After all this, you're still not gonna tell me?" "Nope." " That's not fair." " Life's not fair." "Oh!" "And, uh... you might want to focus more of your attention on training that little beast." "You are so lazy." "And fetch!" "Come on." "Fetch." "She did it." "Good girl, Apple." "Aw!" "She always wanted a sister." "They're so cute together." "Yeah." " I love it." " I love you." "Who knew?" "Oh, I love you too." "Hmm." "Oh." "I'll be right back." "Hi, Sara Beth." "Hi, Ms Andrews. ls Bailey home?" "You know, I don't think it's a good time right now." "She's been, um..." "Hi, Sara Beth." "I didn't know what happened to you!" "Then I saw the "for sale" sign and I thought..." "I don't know, you were leaving without saying goodbye." "Let's go sit down." "So, I guess I have something to tell you." "What?" "Oh, my gosh." "Is it cancer?" "Everyone's been saying that it was cancer, but I didn't..." "No, no, no, it's not cancer." "I was watching The Fault in Our Stars, and all I could think about was you." "Okay, well, I don't have cancer." "Is that a horse?" "Why do you have a horse in your house?" "Oh, this is Apple, my guide companion." "Why?" "Uh..." "I'm going blind." "Well, technically I'm already blind, according to the law." "So you can't see me right now?" "Not really." "It's kind of just an outline." "Actually it's more of a shadow, but there aren't really many details." "Why didn't you tell me?" "I don't know." "I was scared." "I knew that you guys would start treating me differently, and the mall's not exactly going to be the same, you know." "We don't have to go to the mall." "We could go see a movie or..." "You're my best friend." "Nothing is going to change that, unless you keep ignoring my texts." "Wait, can you get my texts?" "Yeah, I have an app that reads them to me." "Could we change it to a really awesome voice?" "I don't know." "I haven't tried." "Probably." "Tell me." "I will tell you when the time's right." " I'll ask my tutor." " No, you won't." " I will." " Don't." " I will." " Don't." "Well, I'm eventually going to learn braille, and then I'll know." " And by that time, I'll already have told you." " Oh." "Hey, at least you got to see the picture first." "That's true, although it was blurry." "You know, we're kind of the living embodiment of the blind leading the blind." "And who's the leader?" " Me, obviously." " No, you're not." "What?" "I'm clearly leading." "Okay, well, I'm not following." "Okay, um, I gotta get to bed." "My tutor is coming over tomorrow, and I really need her to hurry up with teaching me." "Okay." "Night." "Night." "Apple?" "You're a tired little pony, aren't you?" "Night." "Apple." "Apple." "Apple." "Apple." "Apple." "Apple?" "Apple!" "Apple, baby, are you okay?" "Bailey, where are you?" "Where are you, kiddo?" "Oh, my God, Bailey, are you okay?" " Are you okay?" " What is that?" "My God, you're bleeding!" " No, are you okay?" " There's blood?" "No, no, no, that's not my blood, it's Apple!" "Are you sure?" "It's not my blood, it's Apple!" "Calm, calm down, just relax." "I can't calm down!" "I don't know what's going on!" "Apple!" "I got her, I got her." "Stay right there." "Hop in." "Okay." "All right, come on." "Do you want me to call for you, huh?" "No." "Something's wrong with Apple." "Can you meet us at the vet's office?" "Hop in, hop in." "There you go." "Okay." "Please, please, please, be okay." "I need you." "Lay her down right here." "Do you know if she ate anything out of the ordinary?" "Did she get under the kitchen sink or like in the laundry room or something?" "I didn't see anything." "She was in the house?" "Uh, yeah, Apple is my daughter's companion horse." "She stays inside." "It's a long story." "Are you going to be able to save her?" "We're gonna have to figure out what the issue is first." "What's happening?" "Why is she lying flat like that?" "Um, I'm really more used to working with dogs, but..." "So you're saying you don't know?" "Bailey, between the two of us, we will be able to get this sorted out." "Wait." "It sounds like she's having contractions." "Is it possible she could be pregnant?" "So that's why she was always lazy and hungry." "What?" "Aw!" "She's having a baby." "Aw." "I just can't believe we didn't know she was pregnant." " I know." " What are we going to do with a baby horse?" "I could take her." "Or I could train her to be a companion for someone else." "No, I don't think we should separate them." "We can barely handle one of them now, honey." "We haven't even tried, have we?" "No!" "All right, all right, fine." "Bails, I think it's time to go to tutoring." "Okay, but when Apple gets better," "I think I want to go back to school." "Okay, if that's what you want." "I think it's a great idea, Bailey." "Yeah, but only when Apple's back up on her feet and the baby's okay." "Speaking of the baby, what should we call her?" "Well, what does she look like?" "Well, she's spotted, just like her mother." "Spotted, uh..." "What about Dot?" " Dad." " Spot?" " Jot." " Jot?" " No?" " He's too hip for the room." "I'll think of something." "All right." "You'll think of something." "Wait, wait." "How about Picasso?" "'Cause she's a Paint, right?" "That's her breed, right?" "Right?" "Right?" "No?" "Voice text from Sebastian." "Hey, Bails, what's up?" "In case you hadn't figured it out yet, this is what the picture says." ""She opened my eyes to feelings I had never previously felt," ""and my heart to visions of light."" "Light." "What?" "I think we should call her Light, and I'm gonna train her for my friend." " Light." "That's a good name." " It's good." "You've got a lot of work on your hands if you're going to teach her to be a companion." "Well, luckily I learned from the best." "All right, you guys ready for this thing?" "Here we go." "Look at the camera." "I can still hear you talking which means your mouths are open." " All right, quiet, everybody." " Just take the picture, Seb." "And, one, two, three." "Come on, Apple, up." "Okay." "One, two, three, four, thirteen." "Take the picture." "Take the picture." "Okay." "Oh, yeah, this is going to look great." "Bells on bobtails ring Making spirits bright" "What fun it is to laugh and sing" "This rocking song tonight" "Jingle bells, jingle bells Jingle all the way" "Oh, what fun it is to ride and rock the night away" "Jingle bells, jingle bells Jingle all the way" "What more fun it is to ride and rock the night, oh" "Rock the night away" "Don't cry" "Everything's gonna be all right" "I will" "Stay with you here all night" "I am" "And will always be a close, dear friend" "Don't think" "I won't be right here with you until the end" "Just take a look at all our troubles" "Put them in a bubble" "Baby, just let go" "You'll see that love's the only answer" "All I wanna know" "Smile now" "You got the life so many would dream for" "In time" "You'll realise you couldn't ask for more" "If we" "Take a moment to stop and look up" "We'll see" "All are dreams are falling down to us" "Just take a look at all our troubles" "Put them in a bubble" "Baby, just let go" "You'll see that love's the only answer" "All I wanna know" "Just take a look at all our troubles" "Put them in a bubble" "Baby, just let go" "You'll see that love's the only answer" "All I wanna know" "Just let go" "Just let go" "Just let go" "Just let go" "Just let go" "Just let go" "Just let go" "Just let go" "Just let go" "Just let go" "Just let go" "Just let go" "Just take a look at all our troubles" "Put them in a bubble" "Baby, just let go" "You'll see that love's the only answer" "All I wanna know" "You'll see that love's the only answer" "All I wanna know"