One misstep on a mountain climbing trip plunged Brenden into darkness by stealing his sight—and everything else he held dear. But an independent guide dog named Nelson might just bring him back to life . . . if they don't kick him out of guide dog school first. Twenty-two-year-old Brenden McCarthy feels like he’s lost everything. His fiancée. His independence. And his passion for life. All due to one mountain-climbing misstep that cost him his vision. But he’s about to gain the last thing he ever expected: a big-hearted black Labrador named Nelson who’s given one last shot at being a Seeing Eye dog after his last two pairings failed. Both are beyond hope and resigned to live alone. And both are about to experience a bond of friendship that develops when they least expect it. Together is a heartwarming story for anyone who’s ever lost sight of what matters most in life . . . but has hope that there’s more. Full-length inspirational novel - Written with beloved actress and animal advocate Betty White - Perfect for pet lovers who enjoy stories of hope, optimism, and trust - Continue Brenden’s story in the sequel: Alive Day Together A Novel of Shared Vision By Tom Sullivan Betty White Thomas Nelson Copyright © 2008 Tom Sullivan All right reserved. ISBN: 978-1-59554-575-6 Chapter One The young man stood, silhouetted against what he believed to be the bluest sky on earth. As always, he felt at one with the mountain, never conquering it, only sharing its beauty with all of nature's creations lucky enough to ascend its peak. For a brief second, he shivered as the whitest of white clouds passed overhead, temporarily blocking the intense noonday sun. It was the summer solstice, June 21, when the great orb stood above the equator and time was suspended as the earth balanced precariously on the edge of the changing seasons. Today, Brenden McCarthy was in the Elk Range above Aspen, Colorado, at the top of the Maroon Bells. In actual fact, his feet were planted firmly on North Maroon, the toughest of the Bells to climb. It was a moment of utter happiness. In McCarthy's short life-twenty-five years and six months, to be exact-he had climbed all fifty-four peaks of fourteen thousand feet and above in the state of Colorado. Climbing was his passion-or rather, one of them. He was just as passionate about becoming a great orthopedic surgeon. Having just graduated from the University of Colorado medical school, he was in his first year of residency at St. Joseph Hospital, overwhelmed by work but somehow loving the experience. That's who Brenden McCarthy was-a young man who loved the experience of being alive. This morning he drove up from Denver on his prized possession-a rebuilt 1959 Harley Panhead motorcycle that took every penny he could scrounge from jobs he worked all through undergraduate school at Colorado State. The bike was a total trip as it roared along I-70 traveling west and turned onto Route 82, crossing Castle Creek and then turning south on an access road that allowed him to be more aggressive. He pulled in and wheelied to a stop in the parking lot of Maroon Lake Campground. He knew he was showing off, but on this Thursday there wasn't anyone around. And frankly, he just couldn't help himself. With this perfect weather, he figured the climb would take around six and a half hours with the descent actually slower than the ascent because of having to be so careful of a mountain climber's most deadly enemy-scree-loose rock that at any time could send even the most experienced climber plummeting to-what? Injury? Death? Brenden didn't want to know. He shook off the thought as he began to prepare for the climb. Today he chose a familiar route to the top of North Maroon. Though he was dressed in shorts, a T-shirt, heavy socks, and hiking boots, he was experienced enough always to be completely prepared. In his daypack he carried a simple but appropriate hiker's first-aid kit-a bottle of water, along with a filtering pump that would allow him to take water from mountain springs, power bars and a banana for energy, and a gigantic tuna fish sandwich. He also never climbed without a signal mirror, compass, and topographical map that he certainly didn't need but was never without. As an Eagle Scout, he never forgot the axiom "Be prepared." McCarthy was a young man exacting in all things, and it was this quality of exactness that allowed him to seem to others to be a completely free spirit. His father had always said preparation and perspiration allow for expectation and inspiration. McCarthy believed that was true, so additionally, his clothing consisted of a heavy woolen cap that could be pulled down over his ears; a woolen scarf his mother gave him that seemed a little effeminate, but that he secretly loved; a wool long-sleeved shirt that could be covered by a down vest; and a Gore-Tex windproof jacket. He also carried long underwear that could fit under his shorts and heavy Gore-Tex