As an exchange student from Scotland, a whole new world opens up to Darren Green when he moves to the United States. He'll live with a host family, start at a new school, and he'll have to make new friends. However, what won't be a part of this new...
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DARREN WALKED UP FROM BEHIND her. "Congrats, mum," he said.
Elle turned around when she heard her son's familiar voice. It was the first time today she had the opportunity to talk to him. "Darren!" she said, opening up her arms. Before she knew it, she was crying, and she pulled him closer to her so much so that he felt the soft fabric of her white dress.
"Are you crying?" Darren asked. He nestled his chin in his mother's neck and closed his eyes during the hug.
"I'm sorry," she said. The words were hard to hear because of her cries. "Who knew weddings were so emotional?"
"Everyone did."
She laughed. "Of course." She pulled him away from her, taking her time to look at her son. "My handsome, smart boy..."
"You forgot American," Darren said. If he was honest, the States and the people he knew in Jacksonville had been more on his mind in the past two hours than they had been the past month.
"You're not American," Elle corrected him. "To me, you'll always be my little, handsome, Scottish boy." She grabbed his hands and looked him in the eyes. Hers were sparkling.
"I'm really happy for you, mum," Darren whispered. He leaned in to give his mother a kiss on the cheek.
With a smile, she told him thanks. "I couldn't be happier," she said. "Everyone I love in the same room..." She held up her hand with the wedding ring on it. "And Larson." Her glowing face said it all.
"You did it." Darren laughed. Could she say she'd made it now? This was the happy life: husband, kids. She had only happy years ahead of her, it seemed.
"You know, it was so scary," she said. "I was so nervous this whole day. Hardly slept. I was just so scared..." She shook her head.
"He wouldn't say I do?" Darren finished. It was the same fear Larson had had.
She nodded. "That's something people never tell you. Love is so, so scary." She had an almost warning look. "Take it from your mother: it is the most scary thing you will ever go through."
Up until then, Darren had always seen love as the best thing that could happen to a person, associated with only happy feelings. Not that he had any experience with relationships. "Why?" he asked.
Elle took a few seconds to find the right words. "To love someone so much... To want to give your life to them, and everything you have – you want to give them everything, your whole soul, and you don't know what they'll do with it. Take it and run away? Crush it? Or, like you hope, return the love?" She sighed.
"He returned it." Darren smiled.
The corners of her mouth curled up. "He did." She seemed to shine even brighter as she continued, "And now he's mine forever."
He laughed. "Don't tell him that – he doesn't like to be constrained."
"He's the one who said yes!" And they both laughed.
