title: Second Chances
author: Amann, Shennan
description: Mark and Nikki met each other in the first grade when she became a new student at the school Mark was attending. For both of them, it was love at first sight. Or, well, what they considered love to be. Nikki came from a wealthy family and her parents were against their relationship from the very beginning because Mark was from a nonaffluent family.
  Mark and Nikki stayed together throughout elementary and middle school. It became obvious to their friends that they were just meant to be together. By the time they entered high school, they were already planning their future including jobs, where they would live and even how many children they hoped to have.
  One summer, Nikki's parents realize they needed to act soon to prevent her from making what they considered to be the biggest mistake of her life. Nikki overhears them talking on the phone about how they were going to move away to prevent Nikki and Mark from being together. After rushing to Mark’s workplace to tell him what she had heard, they develop a plan to run away and get married that night. Unfortunately, while Nikki is at home gathering her things, her mother catches her and prevents her from meeting Mark.
  After being torn apart from the love of his life, and not knowing where she is or if he will ever see her again, Mark finishes school and joins the Marines. He can't fathom the thought of ever returning to his home town with Nikki not being there to greet him, so after his service in the Marine Corp is finished, he joins the Navy Seals. A few years later, he leaves the military, moves to Colorado and does everything he can to prevent returning home.
  In love since childhood, at the age of 17, they are torn apart only to be brought back together years later at the wedding of a mutual friend. After all of the internal conflict, trials and tribulations they endure, they realize they belong together, and that there's no other place they would rather be. Unfortunately, just as things seem to be going as perfect as they could ever imagine—life teaches them the hardest lesson of all—misfortune and tragedy.
  Second Chances is a story of true love that lasts a life time regardless of how many challenges fate places in the way.