Pretty much from that point on, we were together almost every day. She had a double mastectomy a few weeks later and had to stay in Raleigh, North Carolina for 6 weeks of radiation, but every weekend she either came back to see me or I went to see her. I ended up keeping her dog for her because her sister’s backyard didn’t have any good shaded areas for him to stay, and I enjoyed having a dog around. I never let her live it down that her dog got to move in first. After a few months, she officially moved in with me, and got the news that she was free and clear from cancer.
Laurin went back to school to get an accounting degree and I was busy running my martial arts school. Life was pretty normal. Because of the scare she had, she put adventures and memories as her highest priority. I had a similar mindset from my time in the military. I realized how much she truly cared for me that August when she decided to surprise me for my birthday. She saw on my goals list that I wanted to pet a tiger. So she found a place in Myrtle Beach where we got to have a full day tiger and other exotic animals experience! I don’t know the cost but I know it was quite pricey and she did not make a lot of money, so it was a big deal.
