Summer in Scotland (Prince Harry #1)

Chapter Sixty-Six

Meredith sat in her seat on the airplane, waiting for take off from Edinburgh Airport. Her Delta flight stayed on the runaway, preparing for the liftoff. She stared out the window as lights began to turn off in the cabin. Green grass swayed in the wind like waves on the sea. Just like she came in to Edinburgh, she left with rain and gray clouds. It was the proper way to go out.

When coming into Edinburgh and the pilot warned of another soggy and cold day in Scotland, the Scots on the plane had groaned, coming back from their warm vacations in the U.S. Meredith had laughed, welcoming all the wet and cold days. In the end, there wasn't actually a lot of those. The sun did shine, more than Meredith could ever imagine.

The plane started to move again, completely lined up now. Soon enough they would take off, and Scotland would just be a distance memory and some pictures. Meredith had promised herself to snog a Scottish boy, and it was almost a disappointment that she didn't. An English boy certainly didn't count. There were many promises Meredith made to herself before coming here, and most of them hadn't worked out. Maybe it was for the best because though she didn't accomplish those things, she accomplished much more.

These accomplishments she couldn't put into words. It was done by actions every day. It was done by moments she held close to her heart. It was fears she had done away with. Meredith knew what she wanted and she knew what she needed.

"Preparing for take off," the captain said, and the airplane lurched again, now at a steady pace.

This was the last good bye to Scotland. Tears came to her eyes. "I don't want to go," she said. "I don't want to leave home."

It was true. This was home.

The airplane engines shifted under her, and Meredith, like the rest of the passengers, were thrown back in their seats as the plane kicked into high gear. Faster and faster, the airplane barreled down the runway. Greens shifted together, mixing well with the gray of the sky. The plane took off, leaving the ground, on its way to New York City before Meredith headed back to Minnesota.

Soon Meredith was high in the air, up above the world, almost touching the high clouds. Meredith looked back down to the world below, seeing the houses and lands morph together. Edinburgh sat in the distance.

"I'll be back," she promised.

Glancing down, something caught her eye. In an usually just field of green grass, something bright blue had been placed out. The blue rolled with the green, water on grassed, Meredith remembered. Written with the blue, Meredith knew it was from Harry. He had written I love you, Mere.

"See you soon, Harry."

It was hard to say good bye to Scotland, her home for the last two months and her home forever. That was the special thing about Scotland, it stuck with you. It was apart of you. The culture and the land meant something to you, always. Perhaps one didn't stay for the food, but they stayed for the people, history and the nature. All of it was ever so expanding.

And then all of it was gone as Meredith went up into the clouds. All of Scotland disappeared. It was down there somewhere, but the love still remained.

No one told Meredith it would be so hard to leave. Perhaps it wasn't just Scotland, but anytime someone went on an exchange for study abroad or study away, whatever it was called. This was home now, and travelers were always looking for the next big adventure but travelers were always looking for a home.

This was home.

Meredith knew that whenever someone asked, she would tell them to go travel somewhere, study abroad and see the world. She would tell them to not just vacation there for a week or two. Meredith would say that you needed to live there. Meredith would let them know that this place, whatever the place, would become home. And Meredith would explain, you do cry when you leave home.

She cried now.

Maybe it was just Scotland. Meredith was sure other countries made people feel this way, but it was so strong. It made her heart pound, and she heard it in her ears. She wondered if anyone else could hear it. Meredith knew why this hand had been fought over for a thousand and more years, and it was because it was heaven. Meredith wasn't the religious type, but if she believed in heaven, it was here. Scotland was heaven.

There weren't quite words to describe Scotland. Pictures didn't do it justice. To truly know Scotland, you needed to breathe it in. Scotland wasn't just a country and this time here wasn't just an experience, but you found yourself. You learned.

Meredith learned quite a few things. Meredith knew secrets now, things she would take to the grave. Meredith would protect Scotland, and she had a funny feeling that Scotland, too, would protect her.

Flying in the sky above Scotland, or maybe it was back there, Meredith didn't know in the clouds, there wasn't a settling down. Though she was happy to go back to house and see her dog, Meredith would soon getting back to her old life, whatever that entailed. She wasn't sure what would happen next, and maybe it would be boring. She would do the same patterns and she would have the same days. Maybe nothing would change. But Meredith was changed.

For good or for worse, Meredith had changed. There wasn't any going back, and she wasn't sure if she wanted that. She had grown up on this trip. She was different. She was stronger and smarter. And maybe, she was more stunning. Maybe she would outshine the sun. There was a new air about her, and she walked on air. Scotland brought this to her, among some humans that helped along the way, like Chloe, Rachel and Harry. She wouldn't forget those people.

"Ma'am," said the person next to Meredith, "can I ask you a personal question?"

Meredith nodded.

"How did you get all injured?"

"I climbed up Arthur's Seat. I saw the beauty of Edinburgh with all the beauty of the sea and hills. And then I fell down the hill, clumsy me."