What truly constitutes a coincidence? Are they merely random events or the universe’s way of weaving together the narratives of our lives? Personally, I find it difficult to dismiss certain moments as mere chance. Some occurrences are simply too remarkable to be attributed to randomness alone.
Nestled just outside Edinburgh, Musselburgh is a charming little town that often escapes the attention of tourists. However, during my time studying abroad in Dalkeith, I embraced the local life and set out to explore nearby coastal towns. Longing for the sunny shores of my hometown, Corpus Christi, I boarded a bus heading to the nearest beach. The moment I arrived in Musselburgh, I was struck by its resemblance to Corpus Christi—the skate park, sandy beaches, and the small boats bobbing in the harbor. I relished my solo exploration, enjoying the freedom to chart my own course for the day.
As I wandered across a pedestrian bridge, I was intrigued by the love locks scattered along its railings. Unlike the famous locks of Paris, which symbolize romantic love, Musselburgh’s locks felt more personal and unique. Each lock represented a story, a connection to the town that made it truly special. Captivated by the town’s charm, I decided to commemorate my love for my boyfriend with a lock of our own. Leaving him behind as I traveled was heart-wrenching, especially since we had only just begun dating a few weeks before my departure. To distract myself from the heartache of a long-distance relationship, I busied myself with new adventures.
In a race against time, I scoured the town for a lock before the last bus back to Dalkeith. After several stops, I finally found a pink padlock at a small dollar store. I hurried to the school supplies aisle for a black Sharpie to “engrave” our names and grabbed scissors, knowing I’d need them to open the packaging. In my excitement, I accidentally cut my finger while trying to open the lock, leaving a small smudge of blood on it. “Now that’s true love,” I chuckled to myself, thinking of the blood ritual I’d inadvertently performed. Surely, this lock would symbolize our everlasting bond.
I rushed back to the bridge, searching for the ideal spot to attach the lock. I wanted to leave space for a future addition alongside it. After securing the lock, I decided to bury one of the accompanying keys near a nearby bench, planning to send one key to my boyfriend and keep the last for myself. Satisfied with my little adventure, I dashed to the bus station.
Fast forward to August 4, 2017, when my study abroad journey came to a close. As I descended the airport escalator, I was enveloped in a warm embrace from my boyfriend. That night was magical—we were about to begin a family! Despite the chaos of our senior year in college, we embraced the excitement and uncertainty of our new chapter.
When February rolled around, I brainstormed a special gift for my fiancé. An idea struck me: a love lock featuring our baby’s name. We had often spoken of returning to Scotland so I could share my cherished memories with him. I imagined us placing this lock together on the bridge. After a quick search on Etsy, I found the perfect one, complete with space for our baby’s ultrasound picture. He loved the gift, especially alongside a heart-shaped box of chicken nuggets.
As our son, Leo, made his entrance into the world, we faced some challenges, including a few blood transfusions and a stay in the NICU due to complications. It was a stressful time, but the NICU staff provided incredible support. One day, I met the head nurse, whose accent immediately resonated with me. When I learned she had lived in Scotland, I excitedly recounted my story about the love lock I had given to Mike. To my astonishment, she was traveling to London the following week, and she kindly offered to take our lock with her to ensure it reached the bridge.
Despite my initial hesitation, I felt compelled to let her carry our lock across the ocean—it seemed too serendipitous to pass up. Months passed with no word about the lock, but one day, we received photos confirming that it had successfully made it to the Musselburgh pedestrian bridge. Our pink padlock, though weathered by Scotland’s rain, still gleamed alongside our son’s lock. It was a poignant reminder of how interconnected our world can be, illustrating the lengths to which a stranger would go for someone they didn’t know.
The story continued when, after our wedding the following year, I acquired another lock from Etsy to serve as my “something blue.” We had found affordable tickets to Scotland for our honeymoon, and I was excited to add yet another lock to the bridge. During our stay, we even found ourselves in the same palace where I had studied, and to my delight, we were assigned the same room I had once occupied.
On the day of our visit to Musselburgh, we felt a mix of excitement and anxiety, hoping our locks remained untouched. After a year since Leo’s lock was placed and two years since mine, we took the same bus route I had traveled years earlier. To our relief, both locks were still there, and we placed our third lock alongside them, tossing the key into the water—our love, we believed, would last a lifetime. Our family’s story now adorns the bridge in Musselburgh, and we look forward to adding more chapters to our journey.
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Summary:
In a small Scottish town, the author shares a heartfelt journey of love represented through locks on a bridge. From a long-distance relationship to the challenges of parenthood, each lock commemorates a significant chapter in their life, illustrating how seemingly coincidental events intertwine to create a beautiful narrative. The story highlights the emotional depth and connections that transcend distance and time, ultimately weaving a tale of love and perseverance.