Who remembers the couple Angela Moore and Shawn Hunter from the television sitcom Boy Meets World? They were one of the pairings I used to root for when I watched this series, because their storyline somewhat mimicked real life relationships and some struggles these could face in reality.
I'm not saying that all couples face similar problems in real life, but the way their arch was written felt real, as opposed to the Topanga Lawrence and Cory Matthews fairy-tale-ending. Cory and Topanga did of course face issues, but the way they resolved those seemed too easy. It's a relationship we would like to strive to, but it takes more effort and time in reality, which Angela and Shawn were working towards.
So it broke my very young heart - that was too green to know what real life couples go through - when Angela left Shawn to go and spend time with her father, who was in the military. I also wanted them to eventually end up together, but this sitcom opted to also write in a relationship that doesn't always end in marriage with the white picket fence home. In my imagination - when the series ended - they would eventually end up together, but the writers brought me back to reality again in the sequel Girl Meets World.
Because it turned out that Angela and Shawn ended up with completely different people. Though that revelation was again a disappointment, the writers still did a fine job in composing a real life situation. Angela and Shawn are the embodiment of (some) people coming into our lives for a reason, who aren't always meant to stay. They also shared some experiences, that made them understand each other, which they might not share with their new life partners. They are there to help each other overcome those similar fears and become better for their new families.
