Rachel was on the phone and paid no attention to the voices, she just heard Christopher's speech and realized that they were journalists. At least they were americans, she thought, her italian was already pretty good but from time to time she made a mistake and hated doing it in front of the press because she was always scolded by her superior.

/

Mr. Howard always used to say that she had been in the country for a long time and errors in the language were therefore not justifiable and could damage the company's image in the face of journalistic criticism. "A long time" she liked that term, she never referred to "years" when was asked how long she's been living in Italy. Seven years would be the time that everything happened, nine years would be her age… She didn't like concrete expressions.

In reality, she used to avoid thinking about everything that had happened. And she lived well like that. Anesthetized. She liked her job. As soon as he left her apartment in Central Park, she thought it best to go far and rebuild her life, believing the saying that "time heals all wounds" and who knows maybe she could return one day. But today she knows that will not. Time does not heal all wounds and she will not return to her old life.

She looked for distractions from time to time, like flirting with some bosses or coworkers. Sometimes she got involved with some of them but it was never serious. Not because they didn't want to, after all she was kind, successful, pretty... She used to hear comments by the people of the company, some of these comments were a little mean, must say, that she wasn't a woman to get compromised with. It was partly true and so it didn't bother her. She could not remarry loving another. Actually, she didn't know if it was love or just regret, but she definitely still felt a bond for him. Too much time had passed.

As much as she tried to escape, it was difficult while seeing the children of customers visiting the store with their parents. Or when at the supermarket there was a child throwing a tantrum for wanting candy. Or when there were young friends strolling through the city squares…

If she could just cry... She has always been a very emotional person, and still was, but something blocks her about the accident. Of course, she already cried several times thinking about what happened, but it was always tears of sadness and never of opening her heart, after all, for that she would need someone but she had no one. She made some good friends in the country, but she never told them about her tragic past. She preferred they to think that she was a wealthy daughter who went to a renowned college, got a job at famous fashion companies in the USA until she got the opportunity in Milan. It wasn't a lie, she was just omitting what was not so pleasant and that could bring eternal looks of pity.

She even thought about going back. When her friends came to her insistently at her parents' house she wondered if she had made the right decision. But she was too shaken at the time to act rationally. When she heard that Ross was looking for her she was pretty surprised cause she thought he would be hating her at that moment. But even so she didn't come back, because the memories would still be very fresh and painful, if years later it can be said that they hurt less. The only way she found to end her torment was by changing her phone number. Perhaps now Ross was hating her. Perhaps the others too, since they stopped looking for her. Her independence from the moment she ran away from marriage to Barry has always been tied to the support of her friends and so she has always been dependent on them. So she thought they would keep looking for her. Forever, maybe. But they didn't look. It was better that way, she thought.

/

Monica reluctantly entered the office, next to Chandler, who supported his hands on her back supporting her. When they entered, Rachel was on her back, ending a call.

"So… what is your news story about?" She asks and looks up at the people in front of her, her eyes now filling with tears.

"About friendship" Monica replies with her eyes watering too. "Why did you do that?" Nothing else comes to her mind

"I was sad"

"I know you were. But I could have supported you. We all could, just as we supported Ross and we don't love him more than we love you"

Rachel answers nothing. She only looked down with her teary eyes.

"When I found out that I couldn't get pregnant it was like I died inside. I know it's not the same situation but I know what it's like to lose direction in life. The difference is that I knew you would be on my side, just like I would always be on yours".

At that moment Rachel cried. A cry to finally open her heart.

"I'm sorry".

"You don't have to apologize. I'm disappointed in you. But I will never stop loving you no matter how stupid you may be".

"You should come home, Rach" Chandler finally speaks. He didn't want to intervene at the moment, he knew that the relationship of the two girls was much deeper than his relationship with Rachel. He felt that his opinions wouldn't be important at the moment. But he had a lot more compassion than disappointment with her. They both learned together to mature, he on the love and she on the personality. Just as he thought he would lose everything he built when he learned that Richard had proposed to Monica, he knew that Emma was the fruit of his friend's maturity and independence and when she lost her daughter everything else also collapsed "You are one of us. Maybe not with this hair, but for inside you still are"

"I can't"

"You should talk to Ross" Monica said simply

She should. She should apologize, she should say that she still loved him, she should leave her anesthesia, face reality and return to life".

"I need to think"

/

-WHAT? RACHEL? GREEN? THE RACHEL?

-Yes, Joey. Rachel.

-But will she be back?

-I don't know... She stayed talking to Monica and I went back to the hotel to pack. Besides, I didn't want to disturb their moment.

-This is surreal man... I thought I would never see her again...

-Me neither. But I need to hang up now, our flight leaves early tomorrow and I need to finish packing. I just wanted to tell you what happened.

-What happened?

-Rachel!? Rachel happened, man...

-Oh right, yeah. See you tomorrow.

Joey was at Chandler and Monica's apartment when Ross entered.

"Hey, Ross" says Joey nervously, not sure if he should tell him.

"Hey. I wanted to ask you if you wanna go to the movies, Phoebe is going too"

"Oh, I can't. I have DOOL recording in the morning. I better rest"

"Oh, ok then"

"We can go next weekend"

"Actually I'm meeting Vanessa next weekend"

For a moment Joey is left with no reaction "Are you going to meet her? Like... are you two together again?"

"No, she called me and said she needs to talk to me… What's the big deal about It?" Ross says, noticing Joey's shocked expression.

"Well… you're exes, it can be kind of awkward" he replies knowing that it will be unsuccessful because Ross and Vanessa broke up in a friendly way.

"It won't be awkward. We get along, you know that… Anyway, I have to go or I'm going to miss the movie and you know how mad Phoebe gets when we keep her waiting" he says leaving the apartment.

Joey sits in the chair and fears what might happen if Rachel comes back. "But they are Ross and Rachel" he thought trying to calm himself down "at the end of the day they were just on a break".

/

A week has passed since the end of the trip to Milan. Monica told the other three that Rachel didn't say whether she would return. They chose not to comment with Ross because they didn't know what his reaction would be. At the end of the day, Ross was recovering more and more and it would not be worth it to inflate his expectations at the risk that she would decide not to return and he would end up returning to his melancholy state.

/

On Sunday night, Ross was in his apartment talking excitedly on the phone.

"We can go tomorrow"

"Oh yeah, I used to buy Ben's on that store"

"Yellow, since…"

"Wait, there's someone in the door"

"Ye…"

"I call you back. I got go"

Ross hung up the phone but continued to hold it at shoulder level, still shocked.

"What are you doing here?" The words barely left his mouth.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry"

Her blue eyes shone with the tears. It was her. The hair was different: dark brown, long, thick bangs. The style was different, but it was her. It was Rachel. Her look, her voice, her smell, her beauty. He still couldn't believe it.

As the only answer they hugged. A sincere hug. A hug that should have taken place seven years ago. When they were both lost in themselves but sure of their love for each other.

When they let go, they looked at each other for a few minutes - it was probably a few seconds - until Rachel spoke:

"Maybe we should start over," she said and soon regretted it. She expected Ross to hug her and kiss her, but he looked down and then looked up at her again.

"Rach, you were suffering as much as I was. Maybe you thought it was your fault because of Phoebe's presentiments. First of all I want you to know that I never, at any time, blamed you for what happened. Nor should you blame yourself .

But when I read the letter, I blamed you for giving up on everything without even trying to get over it with me, I blamed you for leaving me. I used to reread the letter and whenever you asked for forgiveness I said no, I said that I would never forgive you.

But as time went on, I stopped loving you till the moment the only thing I felt that still connected me with you was resentment. But it was gone. I forgave you. I understood that it was your way of moving on at that moment.

You will remain alive in my heart, just as Emma has always been, but I don't love you anymore. Seven years ago you made a choice and decided to move on your way. Now I'll move on my way.

I met someone... We broke up a few months ago, we ended up seeing each other a few times again... yesterday I talked to her... she is pregnant".

"I understand… I really do" she says in a soft, emotional but sincere voice

"We weren't supposed to be lobsters"

"We weren't..."

They hug each other one more time.

"Goodbye, Ross"

"Goodbye, Rach"

Rachel turns to the hall and heads for her hotel. The next morning she will return to Italy.

It wasn't a sad ending, she concluded, until then she was stuck in the past and now, after settling things with Ross, as much as it wasn't as she imagined, she was now free to continue living. She was going to keep in touch with friends in NY. Now she was sure she would be happy again. But somewhere else.