Chance Gordon Tillman is born with Down syndrome. He's unable to speak and is locked inside his own head. He struggles to be normal and blend in, which is hard to do in his small town of Cold Harbour, Nova Scotia. If that isn't enough, at the age of five, his Ma packs her bags and disappears into the night. Distraught by her leaving, Chance does his best to be the son his Pa, A.J., needs him to be. If only Pa's new friend, Rena Mae would give him a chance, she might actually like him. However, her sights are set on a life with only A.J. and she persuades Chance to head to Halifax to apply for a living assistance program for people just like him. She convinces him he is a burden on his Pa and he packs his bag and leaves for the big city. What he finds there turns out to be so much more than a second chance at the life he's always dreamed of.