I was sent back to prison after being released from the hospital. I tried my best to stay out of trouble and to obey every single little rule in order to enhance my chance of getting released on parole. I requested a hearing after serving half of my time. The parole board looked at my request, and they have decided that I was eligible and ready to successfully reintegrate into society and that I actually deserved the parole. And finally, I got my freedom back, even though, I had to wear a tracking anklet for a while.

I was signing my release papers, and I was given my belongings back. After that, the prison gates were opened, and I was welcomed with a bright warm smile from my brother who was waiting beside his car. He hurried toward me and pulled me into a hug. I hugged him back tightly.

"God, finally I can hug my own sister without a stupid prison guard snapping at us." He laughed when he released me from the hug. "I really missed you, Em."

"I missed you too, Eric." I smiled warmly, as I started to walk next to him to his car. "But you used to visit me on a weekly basis."

"Well, thirty minutes each week weren't enough," he said.

I gave him a little smile. Then to my surprise, Eric opened the passenger door for me, and that was something very unusual of him. I looked at him in amusement. "Where the hell is my brother? You don't act like him."

He laughed. "Just don't get used to this."

I chuckled before I got into the car. He got into the driver's seat, and brought the car to life, starting to drive away. I looked at the prison one last time before I focused my gaze on the outside world. I was staring outside of the window, looking at the world with a new eye, and a new perspective. People never noticed how great some simple things were except when they were taken away from them or gone.

"So, how does it feel to be a jailbird, Em?" Eric asked, breaking the cycle of my thoughts.

"Well, it gives freedom a deeper and greater meaning," I said, not taking my eyes off the window. "It makes me appreciate every little piece of freedom I had, and of course what I'm going to have."

"Wow, did they make a poet out of you in there?" He laughed, sarcastically.

"Haha, not funny," I said, rolling my eyes at him.

He smirked before he looked at me. "So tell me, what happened with Jake?"

"I thought I had told you to never open up that subject again." I frowned.

"He tried to visit you in prison, didn't he?" Eric asked, completely ignoring what I had told him.

"Yes, he did," I admitted. "But, I refused to meet him."

"And, why the hell did you do that?" Eric raised one of his eyebrows at me. "You could have at least heard what he had to say for you."

"It's not about him... it's about me." I sighed. "I couldn't dare to look at him in the eye again after the so many troubles I dragged him into, and all of the lies that I had told him."

Eric rolled his eyes at me and decided to let the subject drop. We made it home after a short time later. Eric opened the door of the apartment with a smirk before he walked in. I followed after him and was surprised to find my parents and Alice waiting for us with a huge signboard that said 'Welcome Back' behind them.

My mom rose up from her seat once I got in and hurried toward me. She wrapped me in a tight hug, tears dripping from her eyes. "Oh, you can never believe how much I have missed you, Emma. This year and a half had been really unbearable without you."

"I really missed you, Mom," I said as I buried my face in her warm shoulders; a sob escaping my mouth.

She released me with a warm smile on her face, and eyes full of tears. I smiled at her before I turned my eyes to my father who wasn't in a much better condition. I smiled and wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tightly. He gave me a kiss on the forehead and hugged me back. "Damn it, Emma. That was the hardest time of our lives. Welcome back, Love."

"Thanks, Dad." I smiled at him before I looked at my best friend who was sobbing quietly. I chuckled as I pulled her closer and gave her a bone-crushing hug. "I missed you so much, Al."

"I missed you too, Em," she said, crying on my shoulders.

"Okay, that was emotionally wrecking," Eric said, teasing all of us.

I laughed, hitting him on the shoulder. He faked being in pain as he let out a quiet moan with an unhappy look on his face.

"Emma, I can't handle you being taken away from me again," my mom started to say. "You are going to leave New York with me and your father."

"Yes, Em. This is going to be better for you after everything that happened here," my dad agreed.

"Well, I really appreciate that offer but I still don't want to leave New York," I told them. "There's still a chance for me to have the life I have always wanted here."

Mom sighed, knowing that I was too stubborn, and it was hard to change my mind. "It's your choice, after all, Hon."

Eric cleared his throat. "Okay, I have some news to share."

We all looked at him excitedly, waiting for him to continue. "I have also decided to settle down here in New York, and I have found a good position in a tech company," he said, then he looked at Alice who smiled sheepishly. "Also, I have proposed to Alice, and she said yes."

"Oh my god! How the hell didn't I notice the ring on your finger!" I exclaimed as I pulled Alice into another hug. "Congratulations, Al. I'm so happy for both of you."

"Thanks, Em," she said, shyly.

"Wow, I can't believe that my brother had grown up that much." I smirked at Eric.

"Emma, did you forget the fact that I'm your older brother?" he asked, emphasizing the word older.

I chuckled, giving him a tight hug. "Congratulations, Eric."

"Thanks, Sis." He smiled warmly, placing a soft kiss on my cheek.

Mom and dad congratulated and hugged both of them. Then they returned to focus on me. "So, Emma," Dad started. "What are you planning to do next?"

"I'm planning to start a new fresh chapter of my life, and try to get over the past one," I answered with a confident smile, hoping that for once, life would be on my side.

><><><><><><><><><

Of course, I got fired from The Museum of Modern Art after I was arrested as they didn't hire criminals, especially, art thieves. But that wasn't a big problem because I started working on a different smaller museum, and actually, that was better because it provided me with more free time which I used in creating art of my own, giving art lessons to children, and volunteering in different charities.

I was trying to close the door of the past completely and concentrate on my future. I was also trying to forget everything that happened in the past few years. But there was one thing or in this case, one person who I couldn't get out of my head, no matter how hard I tried. I was so naïve when I thought that I could get over him.

I finished my work at the museum early and decided to go to a quiet place to relax. I found myself automatically driving to Central Park.

On my way there, I found my phone ringing. "Hey, Eric?" I said through the phone when I read my brother's name on the screen.

"Where are you?" he asked.

"Just got out of work," I answered. "And I'm heading to Central Park for a walk."

"Great," he said brightly, and I could see his smirk through the phone.

"Why the hell are you asking?" I snapped at him, thinking that something was off.

"Um, I was going to invite you over to dinner with me and Alice, but there's always another time," he said quickly. "Enjoy your day at Central Park, bye."

He hung up before I could ask him any further questions. I cursed at him and decided to ignore him for the rest of the ride. After a short time, I parked my car and unfastened my seatbelt. I got out of the car and started walking toward my favorite place in Central Park: the Bow Bridge.

I stopped to admire the view when I made it to the bridge, a breeze of air fanned on my face softly. I tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear with a smile as memories of this place started to take control of my thoughts. I thought that I had chosen this place specifically because I was thinking about him. Anyway, this place had some incredible memories that I could never forget.

"I was certain that I would find you here," a deep, familiar voice said from behind me.

My eyes widened, and I felt a shiver going through my whole body. "J-Jake..." I turned and was met by his deep, ocean blue eyes that always made me melt from the inside every time I looked at them.

"Hey, Em. I really missed you." He gave me that unique smile of his that always gave me butterflies.

I continued to look at him, unable to say anything. But, how did he know that I was here?

Oh... Eric's call. He was so dead.

Jake continued to look at me. "I really wanted to talk to you after what happened with that bastard."

I bit my lip. This was so hard. I took a long deep breath, and I tried to gather some of the strength within me that would help me in such a situation. "I wanted to thank you for saving me from him but, I..." I paused, not being able to continue. I took another deep breath. "I hadn't had enough courage to face you after... everything."

He sighed and focused his gaze on the view. "When I first found out about the whole thing, I will admit that I was angry, and I was hurting; I was in pain. But I never stopped loving you; I never stopped caring about you." He swallowed hard. "That incident proved to me that there was nothing that mattered to me in this whole world more than you. The thought of losing you was something I could have never tolerated. I love you, Emma. I will always do."

He looked at me in the eye waiting for what I was going to say. I looked away. "I caused a lot of damage to both of us, Jake. Besides, you really deserve someone better than me; someone who doesn't have a mug shot." I smiled bitterly at the last part.

"Emma, you are the only one I want, and I would always choose you, no matter what," he said, looking at me in the eye. "Don't you think that we really deserve a second chance?"

There was a battle going inside of me, I knew for sure that I would never love anybody the way I loved him and that I could never get over him. Nevertheless, the amount of damage I caused to him was too much, but I granted myself a second chance; I was starting over. So, why did I refused to give the most thing that mattered to me in this world a second chance too!

He grabbed my hand, and I felt an electric shock going through my whole body. I really missed how his hands used to hold mine, and how his touch felt on my skin. He smiled, looking at me. "Come on, Emma. We can start over."

"I wanted to start making better choices, and turn my life around," I started. "You were by far the greatest thing that ever happened to me, and letting such a chance go would be the worst choice I have ever made. I really do believe in second chances, after all," I continued. My eyes were teary. I chuckled as I looked at him. "I really did change. I was never that emotional."

He gave me a dazzling smile before pulling me closer, then he pressed his lips against mine; transporting me to a whole different world where his love was the only thing that mattered.

Sometimes, second chances worked even better than the first one because you got the chance to make things right. I liked to believe that. And I knew that we were meant to be together and that we would always find our way back to each other, no matter how many obstacles and challenges we had to face.

Because sometimes, two people had to fall apart to realize how much they needed to be together.