The old house was sold. A new house was yet to be purchased, so Randy was going to rent for a while. He was moving from Virginia to California. The move would put some memories behind him. He was looking forward to a fresh start.
Randy and Nora had gotten married six years ago. It was the first marriage for both of them. Eight months after the marriage, Nora found out she was pregnant. That was good. When she started getting stomachaches, they figured it was the new baby. But then she miscarried.
The stomachaches, however, continued. In fact, they got worse. It wasn't a simple stomachache. It was liver cancer. Then it was stomach cancer, lymph gland cancer, breast cancer, and brain cancer. It never stopped spreading. There was little hope, but Nora battled the daily pain with smiles and few complaints.
After five years of doctors, hospitals, chemotherapy, and surgery, Nora lost the battle. More than one million dollars was spent on medical bills, more than ten thousand prayers were said by family and friends—all to no avail. The only time that Randy asked the doctor for his honest opinion, the doctor said, "She might have six months." Nora died seven days later. Just before she died, she silently squeezed Randy's hand.