John got a job in Dallas and Darlene went with him to start their new life together after getting married.
With the thought of finishing school in the back of her mind, Darlene started her own career as a businesswoman and later became an owner of a salon and spa. She also had two children with John.
“Something kept nagging at me,” she said. “I always told my my children to make sure they finish what they started and I kind of felt it was time to live up to my own advice.”
With her children being adults and the passing of a sick aunt, Darlene said to John: “Take me back to where we met.”
“She gave up everything for me,” John said, “so now it was my time to follow her.”
Darlene and her husband moved back to Nashville in July 2013 so she could pursue her degree in interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in African studies and communications.