I'm back again from another long break from writing. Sorry about that, but
I actually tried to update sooner. Two days ago, I sat down in front of
the computer, put my fingers on the keyboard . . . and stared stupidly at
the empty page on the word processor. Ten minutes passed before I realized
that I wasn't getting anywhere. Hopefully today I'll be in a better
writing mood. (And hopefully you all are in a good reviewing mood!)
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Sam raised his hand tentatively to the door and knocked softly. It did not escape his notice that his hand was trembling as he brought it back down to his side. 'Come on, Sam!' he chided himself silently. 'It's just Rosie. What are you so afraid of?'
A few deep breaths and mental admonishments later, he stood up straight and prepared, feeling that he could take on anything.
The door opened, and he was greeted with Rosie's smiling face. "Sam!" she exclaimed gleefully. "It's good to see you! What brings you here?"
Suddenly, the readiness he had felt just ten seconds earlier fled as quickly as if it had been physically drained from him. He opened his mouth to speak, and it took a few moments for words to form. "It's good to . . . to see you too Rosie." He wet his lips and prepared to try again, but Rosie beat him to it, noting the basket he had on his arm.
"Ooh! A basket! Are you going on a picnic, Sam? Tonight is such a beautiful night for a picnic, don't you think? Well of course you think so! Why else would you be going on one?!" The words flew from her mouth more quickly with each passing second. Sam, too busy mustering up his courage, did not notice the expectant glimmer in her eyes.
"I just came by to . . ." Sam began hesitantly, looking down at his feet, " . . . to see if you . . . maybe . . ." He paused, expecting Rosie to break in again, but when he glanced up at her, he simply found her honey- brown eyes staring back into his as if trying to read his thoughts. After a moment, he resumed staring at the ground, his cheeks beginning to turn pink. "Yes, I am going on a . . . a picnic. Would you like to . . . to . . ."
Rosie's face brightened visibly, and her eyes shone. "You want me to come with you on a picnic Sam?! Oh, how wonderful! I'd love to!"
They both sighed in relief, ignorant of the fact that the other was doing the same.
************************************************
"Here looks like a good spot!" Said Rosie, pointing to a large grassy field next to a clear lake. "Let's stop here!"
So they halted, laying the blanket down on the grass. Opening the basket, they found it filled with lots of delicious food, for which Sam was thankful, considering he fact that Merry and Pippin had insisted on packing it without Sam even knowing what they planned to pack. The small sandwiches, fruit, and cookies were a welcome surprise, knowing what pranks Merry and Pippin could have played in that situation.
Sam looked up, seeing Rosie taking small bites from her sandwich. 'She's so beautiful,' he thought to himself. 'If only I could tell her.'
He decided to get up the courage to try. "Rosie," he said suddenly. She glanced up at him, and observing the look in his eyes, sat up straight and listened hopefully. "I just wanted to say . . . that . . . well, that . . ." He bit his lip. It was useless. "Um, would you like another sandwich?"
Rosie's face fell, "Oh. No thanks, Sam."
*******************************************
They sat there for quite a while, eating and talking. Then, the sun began to set, throwing rays of color across the evening sky, giving its last show of splendor before it would slip beneath the horizon.
"It's so beautiful." Whispered Rosie. Then, wordlessly, she slid her hand into Sam's, and leaned her head on his shoulder. Sam's heart began to flutter. He decided to try again.
"Rosie?"
"Yes," she mumbled, still enthralled by the sunset.
"I wanted to tell . . . to tell you . . ."
Rosie sat up. Suddenly the sunset wasn't that interesting.
"That . . . that . . ." Again, it was useless. "Before I forget," he whispered instead, "I've got something for you." He reached into his coat pocket, and pulled out the glass rose. Rosie gasped.
"Oh Sam!" She exclaimed. "I . . . I don't know what to say!" She took it gingerly as he placed it into her palm.
"I thought you would like it." He said, smiling.
She held it up, letting it catch the last of the dying sun's rays. "I've never seen a glass figure as pretty as this! Where on earth did you find it?"
"It used to belong to my mother."
Rosie, startled, sent a shocked look in his direction. "Your mother? You gave me something that was your mother's? Sam, I . . . oh gosh," she reached up and hurriedly wiped a tear from the corner of her eye before it could fall. Then, unable to hold back any longer, she flung her arms around him, and hugged him tightly. "Thank you Sam. Thank you very much."
*************************************************
Before long, it was time to head back to their homes. After reaching the Cotton Farm, they stood outside for a few moments, hand in hand. Sam sighed. He'd been trying all day to tell her how he felt about her, but he lost his tongue every time. After chewing on his bottom lip a moment, he resolved to try once more.
"Rosie," he began slowly, noticing for the first time the way her eyes shimmered when he said her name. "I just wanted to say that, well, I think that . . I think that, um . . . I had a nice time tonight." He grimaced, frustrated. That wasn't all that he meant to say.
Nonetheless, Rosie smiled one of her frequent smiles. "I had a nice time too, Sam"
There was an uncertain pause.
Suddenly, Rosie spoke up. "I know, Sam, that you're going with your Master to Crickhollow tomorrow."
Sam's spirits fell. " . . .Yes."
Rosie looked imploringly at him. "I just wanted to make sure that, you know, since it isn't really all that far from here, that you would be sure to come and visit me often."
Sam shifted uneasily, remembering Frodo's words, 'the others don't know that we're not going to stay in Crickhollow. They think that you'll still be able to come back here and visit her, but you're not, Sam.'
Sam cleared his throat, but then caught her entreating glance, and through the darkness, could make out the glisten of unshed tears. He wanted anything in the world not to hurt her, but he had to tell her the truth. His breaths became shaky, as he opened his mouth to answer, only to find that he could not get the words past his lips. Finally, he whispered softly. "Of course I'll come back and visit you Rosie." His heart had defeated him.
He saw the apprehension in her expression alleviate, and smiled, blinking back tears. "I knew you would, Sam." Her voice was filled with nothing but tenderness, but Sam found that her words seemed to cut him like a knife.
He avoided her gaze, dolefully. "I'll see you tomorrow, before we set off, okay Rosie? Goodnight."
He slowly releases his hand that she had been grasping. "Goodnight, Sam."
Then, as she walked with a light step into her hobbit hole, Sam trudged home with heavy feet. He had tried to save her form being hurt, but he feared that by lying to her, he had hurt her all the worse. Yet he found that he didn't have the heart to tell her otherwise.
TBC
******************************************************
Sam raised his hand tentatively to the door and knocked softly. It did not escape his notice that his hand was trembling as he brought it back down to his side. 'Come on, Sam!' he chided himself silently. 'It's just Rosie. What are you so afraid of?'
A few deep breaths and mental admonishments later, he stood up straight and prepared, feeling that he could take on anything.
The door opened, and he was greeted with Rosie's smiling face. "Sam!" she exclaimed gleefully. "It's good to see you! What brings you here?"
Suddenly, the readiness he had felt just ten seconds earlier fled as quickly as if it had been physically drained from him. He opened his mouth to speak, and it took a few moments for words to form. "It's good to . . . to see you too Rosie." He wet his lips and prepared to try again, but Rosie beat him to it, noting the basket he had on his arm.
"Ooh! A basket! Are you going on a picnic, Sam? Tonight is such a beautiful night for a picnic, don't you think? Well of course you think so! Why else would you be going on one?!" The words flew from her mouth more quickly with each passing second. Sam, too busy mustering up his courage, did not notice the expectant glimmer in her eyes.
"I just came by to . . ." Sam began hesitantly, looking down at his feet, " . . . to see if you . . . maybe . . ." He paused, expecting Rosie to break in again, but when he glanced up at her, he simply found her honey- brown eyes staring back into his as if trying to read his thoughts. After a moment, he resumed staring at the ground, his cheeks beginning to turn pink. "Yes, I am going on a . . . a picnic. Would you like to . . . to . . ."
Rosie's face brightened visibly, and her eyes shone. "You want me to come with you on a picnic Sam?! Oh, how wonderful! I'd love to!"
They both sighed in relief, ignorant of the fact that the other was doing the same.
************************************************
"Here looks like a good spot!" Said Rosie, pointing to a large grassy field next to a clear lake. "Let's stop here!"
So they halted, laying the blanket down on the grass. Opening the basket, they found it filled with lots of delicious food, for which Sam was thankful, considering he fact that Merry and Pippin had insisted on packing it without Sam even knowing what they planned to pack. The small sandwiches, fruit, and cookies were a welcome surprise, knowing what pranks Merry and Pippin could have played in that situation.
Sam looked up, seeing Rosie taking small bites from her sandwich. 'She's so beautiful,' he thought to himself. 'If only I could tell her.'
He decided to get up the courage to try. "Rosie," he said suddenly. She glanced up at him, and observing the look in his eyes, sat up straight and listened hopefully. "I just wanted to say . . . that . . . well, that . . ." He bit his lip. It was useless. "Um, would you like another sandwich?"
Rosie's face fell, "Oh. No thanks, Sam."
*******************************************
They sat there for quite a while, eating and talking. Then, the sun began to set, throwing rays of color across the evening sky, giving its last show of splendor before it would slip beneath the horizon.
"It's so beautiful." Whispered Rosie. Then, wordlessly, she slid her hand into Sam's, and leaned her head on his shoulder. Sam's heart began to flutter. He decided to try again.
"Rosie?"
"Yes," she mumbled, still enthralled by the sunset.
"I wanted to tell . . . to tell you . . ."
Rosie sat up. Suddenly the sunset wasn't that interesting.
"That . . . that . . ." Again, it was useless. "Before I forget," he whispered instead, "I've got something for you." He reached into his coat pocket, and pulled out the glass rose. Rosie gasped.
"Oh Sam!" She exclaimed. "I . . . I don't know what to say!" She took it gingerly as he placed it into her palm.
"I thought you would like it." He said, smiling.
She held it up, letting it catch the last of the dying sun's rays. "I've never seen a glass figure as pretty as this! Where on earth did you find it?"
"It used to belong to my mother."
Rosie, startled, sent a shocked look in his direction. "Your mother? You gave me something that was your mother's? Sam, I . . . oh gosh," she reached up and hurriedly wiped a tear from the corner of her eye before it could fall. Then, unable to hold back any longer, she flung her arms around him, and hugged him tightly. "Thank you Sam. Thank you very much."
*************************************************
Before long, it was time to head back to their homes. After reaching the Cotton Farm, they stood outside for a few moments, hand in hand. Sam sighed. He'd been trying all day to tell her how he felt about her, but he lost his tongue every time. After chewing on his bottom lip a moment, he resolved to try once more.
"Rosie," he began slowly, noticing for the first time the way her eyes shimmered when he said her name. "I just wanted to say that, well, I think that . . I think that, um . . . I had a nice time tonight." He grimaced, frustrated. That wasn't all that he meant to say.
Nonetheless, Rosie smiled one of her frequent smiles. "I had a nice time too, Sam"
There was an uncertain pause.
Suddenly, Rosie spoke up. "I know, Sam, that you're going with your Master to Crickhollow tomorrow."
Sam's spirits fell. " . . .Yes."
Rosie looked imploringly at him. "I just wanted to make sure that, you know, since it isn't really all that far from here, that you would be sure to come and visit me often."
Sam shifted uneasily, remembering Frodo's words, 'the others don't know that we're not going to stay in Crickhollow. They think that you'll still be able to come back here and visit her, but you're not, Sam.'
Sam cleared his throat, but then caught her entreating glance, and through the darkness, could make out the glisten of unshed tears. He wanted anything in the world not to hurt her, but he had to tell her the truth. His breaths became shaky, as he opened his mouth to answer, only to find that he could not get the words past his lips. Finally, he whispered softly. "Of course I'll come back and visit you Rosie." His heart had defeated him.
He saw the apprehension in her expression alleviate, and smiled, blinking back tears. "I knew you would, Sam." Her voice was filled with nothing but tenderness, but Sam found that her words seemed to cut him like a knife.
He avoided her gaze, dolefully. "I'll see you tomorrow, before we set off, okay Rosie? Goodnight."
He slowly releases his hand that she had been grasping. "Goodnight, Sam."
Then, as she walked with a light step into her hobbit hole, Sam trudged home with heavy feet. He had tried to save her form being hurt, but he feared that by lying to her, he had hurt her all the worse. Yet he found that he didn't have the heart to tell her otherwise.
TBC