George & Hope met through Real Estate – of course! When George called Hope regarding her listing, she had just put it under contract. Then, George being George, he asked her if she had anything else similar for his buyer. She thought about it for a second, and responded that she was thinking of selling her 4-unit, which was similar. Long story short, George’s buyer bought Hope & her husband Scott’s property, and George's partner Steve identified an excellent off-market up-leg for them! Surprised? Not if you know George & Steve! A friendship was born. Shortly afterward, Hope’s husband Scott fell ill with stage 4 Melanoma and passed away the following Spring. George and his wife Susy attended the Celebration of Life for Scott. Hope found herself in a terrible state of grief & despair after losing her partner of 34 years. After lingering far too long in depression, she found significant relief while participating in a support group with New Hope Grief Support in Long Beach. She realized she was not alone, and found solace with the help of others in her group. Eventually she found the strength to start volunteering for New Hope, and trained to become a group facilitator. George’s wife and partner of 35 years was also inexplicably lost to stage 4 cancer not long afterward. Hope reached out when she realized Suzy was ill, and was a sounding board of sorts for George. She attended Suzy's Memorial Service. When George was ready, she led him to New Hope, and he joined an adult support group as well. In the meantime, Hope started inviting her bereaved friend on excursions to keep him occupied, and their friendship blossomed into something much, much more. They live their life now with the mantra of “Live for today, because tomorrow isn’t promised.”