Shelby met Alan at a party. They spoke briefly, mostly out of convenience. From their conversation thought, it would seem to others that they were old friends. It would not be the last time Shelby would see Alan. They would continue to meet, even though they had different ideas about wanting a relationship. They would talk about their past, but Shelby would not feel comfortable revealing part of hers. Eventually as they spent more time together, their family and friends began voicing their opinions on how Shelby and Alan should pursue their relationship. Even with all the pressure, it was the time they spent alone, to give them a chance to talk, to voice their own concerns and compliments that allowed them a chance to discuss personal feelings and the ability to develop their relationship to the next level. After a few bumpy times Shelby finally felt secure enough to tell Alan about her past. When they could talk to each other about their concerns about what the future held, it was then that they new that they could weather the hard times and commit to each other. Though the short story could apply to many people and their relationship, add the fact that Shelby is a Washington D.C. business owner with problems with commitment, and Alan is a US Senator from a prominent family with presidential aspirations and you have a general synopsis of the romantic fiction books, All the Possibilities by Nora Roberts (1985)
