After I Became Blind, I Saw My Family Clearly

As Donna Harrington, my mother-in-law, walked into my house with a guide dog, I clung to my three-month-old daughter, fumbling to feed her after surviving a near-death experience.

She asked, "How are you feeling today, Cammie?"

I heard Donna opening the door and instinctively looked up, but then I remembered I couldn't see anything and just smiled in the direction of the door. "I'm fine."

Then, I couldn't help but frown because I just heard a dog bark.

Donna promptly explained, "I brought you a guide dog because we worry about you being alone at home during the day."

Those words brought a wave of warmth to my heart.

Donna had treated me well ever since I married Nathaniel Harrington.

Even after I gave birth to a daughter, she didn't treat me poorly like some others might have. Instead, she was genuinely concerned when I had a brain hemorrhage during childbirth.

During the two months I was hospitalized, she was there with me through it all, and even though I couldn't see, I could feel her presence.

I said, "I hardly ever leave the house, Donna. I don't really need a guide dog."

I knew how expensive guide dogs were. Nathaniel had mentioned it once after I got home from the hospital.

The following day, I looked up the price of guide dogs and immediately dismissed the idea.

"Sweetie, you're the apple of our eye. Even if you don't go out, it's good to have some company." Donna eventually left the dog with me, but she took away my daughter instead.

She said, "You're not in the best shape to take care of the baby right now. Besides, you're on medication, and the baby can't drink your milk. I'll take her with me, and when you're better, Nathaniel can bring her back. In the meantime, you two can enjoy some alone time together."

Although there was a strong bond between mother and daughter, I couldn't take care of the baby in my current state. Whenever she cried, I had no idea what she needed. I could only fumble around to feed her and change her diapers.

I smiled, "Thanks a lot, Donna."

Donna insisted on not living with us, saying it wasn't ideal for a newlywed couple to live together with their in-laws. So, after we bought our house, she bought a new place in a nearby neighborhood.

After we got married, Nathaniel and I often went back to her place for meals. I actually found this arrangement suited me better.

I eventually agreed to Donna's decision and let her take my daughter.

When Nathaniel came home that night, he was reeking of alcohol.

While we were having sex, he suddenly asked, "Where's our baby?"

Holding onto Nathaniel's back and caressing his earlobe, I replied, "Your mom came over this afternoon. She said it's inconvenient for me to take care of the baby alone, so she took her back."

He didn't say anything else, and I couldn't see his face, but I sensed that he was more passionate than usual that night.

Finally, Nathaniel kissed my neck and apologized, "I'm sorry, Cammie. It's all my fault that you lost your sight."

I shook my head, knowing that having a child was our mutual decision, so it wasn't solely his fault.

The following day, Nathaniel went off to work, leaving me with a ready-made meal at home.

Then, it hit me that today was our third anniversary. Afterward, I thought of Sunny, my guide dog, and reached out to pat its back. "Wanna go for a walk?"

Sunny responded with a bark, obviously excited to go.

Following that quick bark, I rummaged through my wardrobe for my usual clothes, put on a dress, and slipped into some flats before heading out with Sunny.

I wasn't sure how I looked, so I put on sunglasses before walking out the door.

It usually took just five minutes to walk to the bakery from our neighborhood, but Sunny and I had been walking for 20 minutes and were still not there.

"Excuse me. Is anyone there?" I asked, listening to the wind, with no sound of footsteps.

I then started to feel a bit scared. "Sunny, maybe we should just go home..."

It was my first time going out alone as a blind person. The pitch blackness robbed me of any sense of direction, so I quietly felt for the sun's direction and thought about where home was.

Sunny continued to walk ahead, pulling fiercely on the leash I was holding.

"Slow down, Sunny." I tugged on the leash, trying to quicken my pace to follow up.

But the uneven pavement got the better of me, and when Sunny stepped off a curb, I lost my footing.

"Ah!" I exclaimed, but rather than hitting the ground, someone caught me from behind.

I reached out, hoping to find something to hold onto, and ended up feeling a firm, muscular chest.

"Sorry about that..." I immediately pulled my hand back, feeling flustered like a lost little girl, and eventually muttered, "Thank you..."

"You shouldn't walk a dog if you're blind. Which building do you live in? I'll take you back," the man said in a deep voice.

Meanwhile, the leash in my hand was still guiding me forward.

I pressed my lips together and wound the leash around my hand again. "This is Sunny. My guide dog."

"Guide dog?" the man asked, sounding puzzled. After a brief silence, he continued, "Where are you trying to go?"

"The bakery at the neighborhood entrance..." I told him, hoping he would help us.

The man eventually took me to the bakery. Luckily, it was close by.

I felt relieved, realizing that even though Sunny was a guide dog, it was still a dog and playful.

The man didn't leave after taking me to the bakery. Instead, he waited until I bought the cake and was ready to head home before asking, "Which building do you live in?" His voice startled me as I thought he had left.

I hesitated before replying, "Building 8."

"Miss, it's dangerous for a blind person to go out alone. Luckily, there are no cars in the neighborhood. You can walk around with your...guide dog, but it's different outside. Next time, call for delivery instead of going out alone." The man didn't take the elevator with me but waited until I was inside before leaving.

I was a bit shaken by my bold decision today and decided it wasn't worth going out unless I had.

By the time I got home with the cake, it was already past afternoon after all the fuss.

Nathaniel wasn't busy today, and he even got off work early and came home.

I could tell it was Nathaniel by the sound of the door opening, so I immediately shouted from the bedroom where I was playing with Sunny, "Is that you, Honey?"

"Guess what I brought you, Cammie?" he said with a hint of excitement in his voice.

I already guessed that Nathaniel remembered today was our wedding anniversary, but I still wanted to surprise him.

"Why do you always make me guess, Honey? How could I possibly know?" I playfully whined at him.

Nathaniel insisted, "Nope, you have to guess today."

I then felt the warmth of his embrace, and I snuggled my head against his chest. "Well, I have a surprise for you, too, and you have to guess as well."

Suddenly, in the midst of our tender moment, a woman's scream rang out. "Ah!"

I quickly pulled away from Nathaniel's arms and looked nervously toward the door.

"What's wrong, Cammie?" he asked, his voice sounding from above my head.

I kept staring at the door, trying to hear something else, but unfortunately, there was nothing except Sunny barking a few times.

I asked, "Did someone come in with you? I thought I heard a noise just now."

"What noise?" Nathaniel replied, resting his chin on my head and holding me close. "It must be from outside. I heard it too. But don't worry. It's nothing. I'm here."

"Alright." Although I still felt something was off, I took his word for it.

We then dropped the topic. I sensed that Nathaniel seemed tired, but he pulled me by the hands and led me into the kitchen.

"Happy third anniversary, Babe." He scooped a bit of frosting and dabbed it on the tip of my nose.

The sweet and cold frosting felt funny on my nose. I tried to rub it onto Nathaniel's face, but he dodged.

After messing around for a bit, I took out the cake I had bought from the fridge. "Happy third anniversary as well, Honey."

"Cammie?" Nathaniel seemed surprised and immediately asked, "You went out today?"

I nodded and smiled sheepishly, "I went with Sunny to buy it. What do you think? Does it look nice?"

"You're amazing, Cammie!" Nathaniel pulled me into his arms and took the cake, guiding me to sit with him.

Aside from that one scream, the dinner was otherwise very peaceful.

After dinner, Nathaniel finally spoke, "I'll go check on my parents and the baby. Will you be okay by yourself at home?"

"I want to go with you," I replied, holding his hand, eager to join him.

Nathaniel, however, pushed my hand away and said, "You already went out today, Cammie. Don't tire yourself out. I'll take you there tomorrow."

I nodded, realizing that it indeed was reckless of me to go out today, and agreed to let him go.

"Sunny?" I called out, feeling bored alone, but there was no response. The room felt eerily quiet.

"Sunny?" I called out again.

It was odd as, just a moment ago, Sunny was here eating.

I then felt my way along the room's walls, inspecting them inch by inch.

Sunny wasn't in the dining corner where she usually ate.

After a moment, I heard Sunny's cries coming from my bedroom.

I breathed a sigh of relief and quickly returned to the bedroom. It wasn't until I felt Sunny that I felt at ease.

"Why didn't you respond when I called you? You scared me to death." I guess today's trip outside had rattled me, and now I was feeling extremely vulnerable.

You know, before I had my baby, I was an executive at a company.

I got married at 33, and at 36, I became a high-risk pregnant woman. In the end, I couldn't cross the hurdle that women face at 35.

When the company found out I had gone blind, they gave me a large compensation to help me recuperate. With that, I finally left the company where I had worked for ten years.

I didn't know what time it was when Nathaniel came back, but I had already fallen asleep on the floor with Sunny in my arms.

He helplessly picked me up and put me on the bed, and I woke up right then.

"Honey?" I felt reassured by the familiar scent in my arms.

"What's the matter?" Nathaniel tucked me in and hugged me from behind. "Babe, I'm thinking of taking an extended leave from work to spend more time with you."

I was taken aback for a moment but eventually pushed him away gently. "I'm okay. I can manage at home alone. You don't need to do this."

Nathaniel sighed, "It's all my fault, Babe. If you ever get your vision back, I'll make sure to make it up to you."

Hearing him say that, I felt a pang in my heart.

"What are you apologizing for, honey..." I murmured as I rolled over. Hearing Nathaniel's even breathing and realizing he had fallen asleep, I figured he must have been exhausted lately. I then scooted closer to him and wrapped my arms around him.

However, I never imagined I would regain my vision so soon.