Authors: Sophie Monroe

I Won't Give Up (31 page)

“How did you learn to fight like that?” I saw Cooper wince. We didn’t really talk about the how. One day when Mason was watching Power Rangers he asked, okay he begged, for karate lessons and Cooper took him a few times but didn’t think that they were teaching it to his specifications and decided to teach him himself and turns out he’s a natural.

Noticing the slight tension my mom changed the subject.

“
Honey
,
a
re you excited to be done with school?”
She
asked.

“I am. I’m more relieved than anything.”

“You’re going to make a great nurse
those patients are going to be lucky to have you
.
”

“
I don’t know how you managed with the three of them.”
Rosemary added. I laughed watching
my three crazy kids running around
chasing their cousins
.

“She didn’t just manage
she excelled.” Cooper interjected
kissing my cheek
.
There were many sleepless nights for both of us but he more than pulled his weight around the house especially when I needed to study. He’d had the basement soundproofed so that I could he could take the kids down there and let them go nuts without disturbing me.

“That’s cause I had you. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
I kissed him.

Even though I didn’t need to work
for money
I wanted to do something in my life with meaning so I decided to pursue my dream and become a nurse it took a little longer going to school
in between having my babies
but with Cooper’s help I did.
My goal all was
to work with cancer patients especially mothers
. I
t touched me on a personal level because of Cooper’s mom
struggle
.

Over the last couple years my mom
founded the
Holly Kinley Breast Cancer Research Foundation
that funded
the new wing
at the hospital. T
he organization focused on early detection and offered childcare services to mothers with young children along with other helpful services.
She took a personal approach and oversaw
each case. Alexis and I helped where we could.
Starting next week I would be working at the Holly Kinley Cancer Care Center as an RN two days a week on a volunteer basis. My mom
was
already
in the process of putting together a
nother
gala
to raise
even more
money.

As soon as Luke took the food off the grill everyone dug in. I sat next to Alexis and we talked animatedly about being pregnant again. Turns out they’ve known for a couple weeks but held off telling everyone until they were into the second trimester since they had lost a baby last year but the doctor said so far this pregnancy looks great.
After dinner I went inside to get the dessert. I’d made dirt cups for the kids which was just chocolate pudding, crushed Oreo cookies and gummy worms and I’d made a cheesecake for the grown ups. I delved out the desserts and ate my cake sitting on Coopers lap nuzzling my head into the crook of his neck.

If someone told
me ten years ago that I’d be talking to my dad again, sitting next to my mom who was married to my father in law and that I’d
be sitting here at twenty-eight with my soul mate and our three kids with another on the way I would have told you that you were crazy but here I am
and for us it’s normal
.
I truly believe everything happens for a reason. Cooper is my reason. My kids are my reason. My family is my reason. When I thought I was broken beyond repair Cooper saw the real me and loved me flaws and all he helped me become who I am.
I’ll be forever grateful that
he never gave up on me.
I am stubborn and strong willed. I am
loving and passionate. I have
attitude.

I try and live my life by
this quote by Charles R. Swindoll.

“The
longer I li
ve, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home. The remarkable thing is that we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude that we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is ten-percent what happens to me and ninety-percent
of
how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

I cho
se to live every day like it’s my last
, to live
happily ever after.

The End