The next day dawned as warm and sunny as the previous one and found a small group of hobbits gathered around a pony and cart in Brandy Hall's cobbled entranceway.
Frodo stood to one side of the door, chattering excitedly with a gaggle of youngsters, while Bilbo lifted bags and boxes into the cart. Most of the luggage seemed to belong to the older hobbit. Frodo's consisted of one bag of clothing and a large box of books. The lad was busy dividing his other books amongst his friends, who were accepting them with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Esmeralda suspected that some of the books would become mathoms but it was the giving that was important, and she was pleased to see him surrounded by so many friends, a sharp contrast to the lonely child of ten years ago.
"Frodo!" A small figure flew out of the great doors and Frodo knelt down, arms wide. Meriadoc threw himself into the tweenager's arms, knocking Frodo over in the process so that they both ended up rolling in a giggling heap on the cobbles. Meriadoc had become like a brother to Frodo and it was his birth, as much as anything, which had drawn the lad out at last.
Esmeralda divided her attention between watching her little son get very dusty and grinning as she noted one or two of Brandy Hall's matriarchs pushing advice upon Bilbo about the care and feeding of a tweenager. She had to admire his patience as he nodded in the right places whilst concentrating upon loading the cart and keeping one eye upon his new heir.
At some point she must have taken her attention off the youngsters for someone touched her arm and Esmeralda glanced across to find herself lost once more in those deep blue eyes. Frodo had grown over the past few years, until he now reached her shoulder but she suspected that he had a few more inches of growing yet to do for he had not yet filled out into a proper hobbit roundness. It was obvious that his body was still using its energy to grow upwards.
Frodo pressed something into her hand and Esmeralda looked down in surprise, expecting to see a tattered book. Instead, she found a carefully wrapped package, tied with a green satin ribbon. Esmeralda smiled delightedly and handed over a similarly shaped package, although more simply wrapped.
Both said, "Thank you," at the same time and broke into giggles as they unwrapped their presents. The giggles turned to gales of laughter when the contents were revealed.
Frodo tore open the paper to reveal a box of fine white linen hankies with the initial, "F" lovingly embroidered on each. Esmeralda opened her parcel with more care, slipping the green ribbon into her apron pocket. She also revealed a box of soft linen hankies, this time trimmed with fine lace and far too fine to actually blow a nose on.
"I wanted to replace all the hankies you have lent me over the years," Frodo laughed.
"And I wanted to make sure that you had enough hankies around when I wasn't there to keep you supplied," his Auntie replied through her own laughter.
Frodo drew his Auntie Esme into a tight hug, now able to wrap his arms completely around her, instead of having to clutch at the waist of her apron. When they parted she bent to scoop up Merry and followed him to the cart where Frodo endowed them with one final hug before climbing up next to his Uncle Bilbo. As the cart rumbled out of the gate Esmeralda felt as though a part of her heart was being torn away and she called out . . .
"Take care of each other."
Frodo turned to look over his shoulder. The bluebell eyes captured hers again and he waved. "We will, Auntie Esme. And I'll come back and visit, I promise."
Frodo kept his word, visiting often as Merry grew up. And for as long as he lived in the Shire, every year upon Frodo's birthday, Esmeralda Brandybuck received a box of six delicate hankies.
THE END
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