72 Lifeline.
With a deep thud the book closed and Frodo leaned back in his chair with a sigh. It was done, finished at last and he felt as if another weight had been lifted from his shoulders. His fingers traced over the worn red leather cover as if reluctant to let it go but he knew in his heart it was time. With another weary sigh he pushed back from the writing desk and stood with a roll of the neck, before crossing over to the only window in his little office.
A familiar figure was bent over the sunlit flowers in the garden, poking at the ground beneath their stems with fingers that Frodo knew would be ingrained with the soil he so lovingly tended. Sam. How could he have survived without Sam. His lifeline through the dark. His anchor when all else crumbled around him. Tears prickled at the corners of his eyes and he brushed them away before they could fall. He needed to be strong now. He must explain his decision and not allow himself to be swayed.
Moving through the house swiftly so as not to have time to change his mind he came to the door, drew it open and, taking a deep breath, stepped out into the sunlight to find his beloved friend….