Once the initial shock of the pregnancy wore off, the newlyweds were overjoyed at the prospect of becoming parents. In the late spring of 1988, Robert and Laura welcomed a baby girl, Piper, into their family. He was followed two years later by their first son, Nathan, and then last, but not least, Mia joined the family in 1993. Being neither extremely wealthy nor poor, but rather falling somewhere in between, Laura and Robert were able to maintain a comfortable lifestyle. Piper and her siblings had the happiest of childhoods, each of them thriving under the loving roof their parents provided them with.
From elementary school to high school, academics were something that always came easy to Piper. Unlike most of her peers, she didn't have to spend hours upon hours studying for exams, quizzes, and the like. Blessed with a kind of photographic memory, she merely needed to look over the material once and she was able to pass with close to flying colors. Once she entered high school, she discovered a passion for running and ended up lettering in track and field all four years in addition to being a member of the school choir.
While her grades were nearly spectacular, Piper remained undecided as to what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. Having always admired the people who worked in the world of medicine, yet not sure if she wanted to go all the way and become an actual physician, it was her mother who suggested that she become a nurse like herself. Helping people was something that had always come naturally to her and was something she enjoyed immensely which only made the suggestion that much more appealing to to the young graduate. Her 3.8 GPA combined with her extracurricular activities were enough to earn her a scholarship and then it was off to the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. While her courses demanded more of her, overall her test scores and other grades were much like they had been while she was in high school.
Her family's happiness and peace was shattered on an unusually rainy March evening in 2007. Piper had just returned home from class when she got a call from the Davenport Sheriff's Department informing her that her parents had been in an accident and she needed to come there immediately. When she arrived she found her siblings were home with a sitter and the police were waiting for her. Apparently her parents had been driving home from their weekly date night in the city when another car had been unable to stop and slid through an intersection into the driver’s side of the family's vehicle. Laura, who had been in the passenger seat, suffered a broken arm, a few cracked ribs, and a mild concussion. Robert, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. Though the doctors had done everything they could to repair both the internal and external damage the accident had caused, Robert passed away five days later having never regained consciousness.
Adjusting to life without Robert was more than difficult and close to impossible, but over time the broken family was able to pick up the pieces and move on as best they could. Some days were easier than others and some were a lot harder, but at least they still had each other and none of them were left to deal with their pain alone.
Piper, knowing that her mother was going to need her help emotionally and mentally as well as financially, decided to put her higher education on hold and move back home. The emotional and mental support was the easiest to offer. She took over the daily managing of the house - making sure her brother and sister made it to school and back, cleaned the house, paid the bills, took care of the shopping, prepared meals, etc. - but the financial aspect would prove to be a little harder. Withonly her high school diploma behind her, it was almost impossible for her to find work in their small town and with most of the stores and restaurants being fully employed and the fact that she was barely nineteen, that ruled out working in the various clubs.
Piper is known for being an independent person. That is not to say that she doesn't need other people such as her friends and family, quite the opposite in all honesty, but she is also very capable of taking care of herself and being on her own.
She’s very technical, even if she can’t remember some story you told her a few days ago, She will remember exactly what you said to her in a fight three months prior. Piper is patient and stubborn to boot which can make for a formidable combination when she decides there is something that she wants. Piper rarely shrinks from responsibilities as she hates idleness and laziness. She is not a procrastinator and loves to get the job done rather than sitting around and waiting for things to happen on their own.
She is generally an alluring person, who can charm people with her down-to-earth and witty nature. She is emotionally strong and able to carry a lot of emotional weight on her shoulders, though, it is often done in her lonesome. Piper rarely shares her worries or concerns with anyone else as she thinks that her issues are her own and she shouldn't (and wouldn't) put them on anyone else.
Piper is an excellent secret keeper. she will not share anything about herself if she doesn't choose to do so and she will not betray the secrets of those who have taken her into their confidences. Trust, loyalty, and honesty are all things that she places a high value on in each of her relationships.
Underneath all of the stubbornness and independence is a woman with a heart of gold. Piper is the kind of person who loves deeply and is very generous when it comes to the ones she loves. she is fiercely protective of her friends and family and there is little to nothing that she wouldn't be willing to do for them.
