Agnes ‘Apple’ Bailey:  I’m getting out of here.

Agnes ‘Apple’ Bailey:  It’s Apple, remember? You gave the name to me.

Agnes ‘Apple’ Bailey:  Here’s what’s up.  I need a place to stay for a little bit. I’m not asking you to feel guilty and s***.  I just need a place to stay for a bit and then I’ll get a job and get on my own.

Apple’s half brother:  She smells and she’s weird, mom.  So why is she at the table with us?

Agnes ‘Apple’ Bailey:  By the time I was 12, I was assigned my 12th foster home.  It seemed nice until…[the dad abused me]…and  he told the case worker ‘she made it up,’ because that’s what troubled kids do, and they believed him.

Agnes ‘Apple’ Bailey:  I want out of the system.  I just need a place to stay for a little while.  Are you gonna help or do you and Joanna still have to talk about it?

Tom:  Mutual Respect.  Trust.  Confidence.  … I trust that when I  leave here, you will not get into a street brawl with my wife.

Tom (about Apple’s pregnancy):  Turn the page and you before you know it, you will have forgotten that it ever happened.
Agnes ‘Apple’ Bailey:  Turn the page???  Forget about it???  Like you did with me???

Agnes ‘Apple’ Bailey (about an abortion):  I don’t want to do that.
Joanna:  It’s not about what you want.  Unless you want to end up like your mother?

Agnes ‘Apple’ Bailey:  I’m ok.  I’m ok.  I’m not scared.

Agnes ‘Apple’ Bailey:  Look, I don’t need a priest.  God don’t care about me.

Agnes ‘Apple’ Bailey:  Last time I asked God for help, he put me here [she’s handcuffed to a hospital bed].
Chaplain:   He’s a tough C.O., but maybe He put you right where you need to be.

Agnes ‘Apple’ Bailey:  I didn’t ask you to talk to anyone.  Why do you want to help me?
Chaplain:  I’m a priest.
Agnes ‘Apple’ Bailey:    Not a very good one—or you’d have your own church.

Chaplain:  Being young and pregnant is like a pinwheel.  You go where the wind blows….

Chaplain:  Don’t make your child suffer because you’re suffering.
Agnes ‘Apple’ Bailey:  Where was God when I was suffering and abused all these years?

Social Worker:  Going home is the best situation for you.

June Bailey (Apple’s mom):  When that baby comes out, they’re gonna be paying us more money.

June Bailey:  I didn’t have no social worker caring about me.  NOBODY wanted me to have you.

June Bailey:  You don’t know what I wanted out of life; who I was; what I could have been.

June Bailey:  You don’t know.  You don’t know what I did.  I did everything I could.  I messed up.  I did.

June Bailey:  When they took you away, I just wanted the pain to go away.  Ididn’t wannna feel nothin’.

Agnes ‘Apple’ Bailey:  I just wanted to come and tell you I probably shouldn’t have yelled at you.
Chaplain:  Are you apologizing to me?
Agnes ‘Apple’ Bailey:  Um…  I’m not.
Chaplain:  Sounds like it to me.  Never apologize for your true feelings.

Jeremiah 29:11-12, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. “

Kathy:  We have a 24 hour rule in this house—whenever girls are fighting, they need to work it out right away.

Agnes ‘Apple’ Bailey:  She will never let me go.  Not as long as welfare keeps sending her money.
Kathy:  As much as I care about you, baby, I won’t go to jail for you.

Kathy:  Don’t cast your immaturity on me.

Kathy:  Stop dancing with your demons.  Learn to cooperate.

June Bailey:  Nobody cares about us, don’t you know that?

From one of the girls’ files:  Rape victim.  Runaway.  Family does not want her back.

House girl:  You’re not aggressive.
Agnes ‘Apple’ Bailey:  That’s what it [the file] says.

Kathy:  20 years ago I was homeless.  …  all the while trying to hold onto my dignity as a woman…  I was frightened and alone.

Kathy:  WE can give them shelter, guidance, an education.

Cassie:  Aren’t you sick of this?  Being exploited?  …  I know I don’t want anyone feeling pity for me here, except for me.

Cassie:  I suffered my whole life because of my mother, and now that she’s gone, I suffer even more….  I hate my mother, but deep down, you love her, and that hurts even worse.

Agnes ‘Apple’ Bailey:  I caused all this.  It’s my fault.
Chaplain:  There’s a saying in the Bible, “all of us, like sheep, have gone astray.  Each of us has turned to his own way.”  And that’s her way, not yours.

Agnes ‘Apple’ Bailey about her baby:  Her name is Hope.  It’s Hope.

Young Tom—in his letter:  I would have liked to be your father, but I’m just not ready. I guess I hope maybe you’ll forgive me.

Chaplain about Hope:  Good feet.  Good foundation.

Tom, in his letter:  You would be the Apple of my eye.

Agnes ‘Apple’ Bailey:  You wanna hold her?
Tom:  YES!!!  I never got to do this with you.  I didn’t understand. [Tears stream down his face.]

Tom about a new nursery:  It’s all for you and Hope.  We want you to come and live with us.

Agnes ‘Apple’ Bailey:  It’s real hard for me to tell you guys how I feel.  Thanks for caring.  …  You all have been like sisters to me.  Friends for life.

Kathy:  See you suddenly.

Agnes ‘Apple’ Bailey:  The people there, they make you feel like a family.  Like you’re loved….  It’s crazy how you can go and live with strangers and feel so much joy and not feel any different, and not feel unwanted and feel you can go places in your life and succeed in life.  I know I can be your daughter, someday, but I need time.  Can you give me that?
Tom:  Yeah, I can do that.