The Highlander and His American Rose

You never know who you will meet in Edinburgh, Scotland while waiting in a taxi line, late at night, flushed with a few beers, lingering smile on your face from the casual flirting and wisps of hair blowing in the cool Scottish mist. You could possibly meet your Highlander.

Isabella had two weeks left on her semester abroad for college and this was not in the curriculum. She had played the tourist well; Edinburgh castle, Hades Wall, Loch Ness Monster, Cashmere sweaters for everyone  and tested out all the pubs in a five mile radius. She was packing up to leave but could not pack her heart away in a suitcase, far, far away from Danny, her Highlander.

Danny knew the way of the land and had never stepped off Scottish soil.  He had startling blue eyes, wavy chestnut hair to the top of his collar and an accent that could melt any woman in hearing distance.  He knew standing in that taxi line that somehow he needed to "chat up" the beautiful, dark haired young woman. Her velvet brown eyes and American accent captured his attention further making conversation easy and following it up with two weeks together too short. Danny had become quite "attached" to Isabella, his American Rose; and they both realized saying goodbye was going to be difficult.

It became a global romance: two months in the Cayman Islands while he was working; six weeks in Seattle as she finished her college thesis; two weeks for college graduation wearing his kilt; three weeks in Spain wearing  her bikini and one huge waterfall for the proposal with a hundred tourists and a diamond ring.

The Highlander and his American Rose have flourished despite the distance, communication misfires and internet dead zones. We celebrated their love in grand Scottish style with kilts, bagpipes and draping them both in his families tartan at the Old Mission Church. Even though Isabella will wait for six weeks before she can join him due to immigration visa rules, we all know her heart and mind are on the Highland moors drenched in thick grey mist where Danny awaits her with a bouquet of purple heather.

Isn't love grand, laddie!