"My parents moved us to the States so that they could make money. But once we were here, me and my brothers and sisters integrated into the American culture while my parents later returned to the island to retire. We have a saying in the Azores. Vou morrer pra minha terra; I will die in my homeland. My parents live by that saying."

She gave him a steady look. "You miss it don't you?"

He nodded. "Being blind on an island is great. I can run, sprint even. And the only ...