Sharon and Kirk met in a business finance class at the University of Tampa. They were young and fell in love. Three years later, they graduated, married, and settled down in a small starter home in Tampa, Florida. Soon thereafter, Sharon gave birth to three beautiful children: Kirk, Jr., Tammy, and Geni. Sharon became a full-time homemaker in order to play a key role in their children’s upbringing and to reduce childcare costs. Meanwhile, Kirk worked long hours to provide the family with financial stability.
Unfortunately, the young family’s blissful days disappeared shortly after the birth of Geni when Sharon developed severe depression. Sharon withdrew from her family and the world as an internal darkness consumed her. Kirk quickly realized that he was unable to manage the additional family responsibilities on his own. After much debate, Sharon and Kirk asked Linda, Sharon’s widowed mother, to move in with them to assist with the child rearing and daily household chores. Linda and the three children developed a close bond over the next five years as the children came to rely on Linda for their daily emotional, psychological, and physical needs. Then, early one morning, Sharon killed herself.