| Dana Madison is sick of being protected all her life. Just because she has life-threatening attacks of asthma, her family thinks that she needs to be in a bubble world. All her life her mother smothers her with her nurturing and cossets her from doing strenuous jobs. And when she has attacks, her mother panics not knowing that the emotional distress that Dana always feel when they're around triggers her asthma. It has been hard to convince them to let her live on her own and it'll be harder for them to approve of letting her join the decathlon, which she has dreamed of being an avid runner. Both her parents disapprove of her running for fear that she will have her attacks. One evening while running back towards her house, she has had an asthma attack. A stranger comes to help her. But when he returns from getting help, Dana is already gone.
Russ Ettinger is haunted by the woman he has met that night. Her delicate features and strength appeal to him. But she is gone before he can get her number. He searches for her everywhere and returns to the path she has taken that fateful night again and again hoping to see her. But luck would have it that they meet in the library where she works. After that Russ wastes no time in gently courting her. At first Dana is hesitant to receive any attention from Russ. She is a bit insecure of him knowing that he has been a professional runner. Also a traumatic romantic past where her lover is disgusted with her asthma attacks particularly before they get to have sex brings her humiliation and painful insecurities. She has accepted her fate that a woman with her condition can't have a normal relationship. But Russ's determination melts away her self-doubts. She goes into a relationship with him but first she spells out honestly her condition to him. Thinking that he will turn away from her once he knows her condition, she is surprised that Russ remains at her side. When she tells him that she'll be joining the state's gruelest marathon, Russ is afraid for her. He doesn't want her to get attacks during the difficult race. But knowing that this is her dream, Russ becomes supportive and becomes her running coach overseeing her training and her health. They become a team and Dana is happy that at last there is someone who can treat her normally. With Russ she has had the chance of fulfilling her dream of running and more importantly of having a family of her own. | ||
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Plot & Themes Time/era of story Inner struggle subplot Yes If one lover chases another... - he chases after her Disability or addiction? - physical disability/sickness/injury Main Male Character Profession/status: Age/status: - 20's-30's Main Female Character - 20's-30's Profession/status: Unusual characteristics: Setting United States Yes Small town? Yes Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death What % of story is romance related? - nearly 100% Focus of story - equally on him and her How much dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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