~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'Do not be too sad, Sam. You cannot always
be torn in two. You will have to be one
and whole, for many years...'
- Frodo in The Grey Havens
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bag End
Mid-Year's Day
1482 S.R.

Elanor Gamgee Fairbairn stepped outside her childhood home, pulling the door behind her as she paused to allow her eyes to adjust to the black velvet night. As soon as they adjusted she began to walk towards the back of Bag End letting her nose guide her to a familiar place.

Sam sat in the very swing that he'd made for Rose years ago. The swing quietly creaked as he gently moved it back and forth. In his hand Elanor saw the soft glow of his pipe as he inhaled his last little bit of pipeweed. He said nothing as she approached and Elanor suspected that his gaze was turned towards the heavens.

'Daddy?' she said quiet as she stopped before the swing.

Sam lowered his gaze from the stars and looked at her, and it was then that she saw tears streaming down his face, the moonlight betraying his agony at last. Without another word, Elanor sat down before he father, pulling him into her arms to comfort him as he had so often done for her as a child.

'Oh, Daddy,' she murmured, her tears starting to flow again as she heard him bite back sobs. For a long time, father and daughter just simply held onto one another in their shared grief.

Only a few hours earlier, Rose, beloved wife and mother had passed away, leaving an aching void in the hearts of all that knew her. Fortunately Sam was not left alone in Bag End to deal with the immediate grief of losing his wife. In the week before Elanor and her family had come there when Sam had sent word to them in the Westmarch when Rose had become suddenly ill. Now Bag End was full of all of Sam and Rose's children as well as their grandchildren, having come together for the funeral tomorrow morning.

'I know she's at peace, that she's in a better place,' Sam's voice was soft and hoarse as his grief finally subsided. 'But I still miss her.'

'We all do, Daddy,' Elanor said quietly.

They were silent for a few more minutes before Sam spoke next what he needed to say. He said what he said to Elanor first because she was his firstborn, and although he always loved all of his children on equal terms, he had always shared a special bond with her because was his firstborn. Somehow he knew she'd understand what he was about to say next.

'Ellie, I hear the Call of the Sea....'

***
Shortly just before she passed away, Rose had opened her eyes, and gazed into the face of her beloved husband as Sam took her hand, a sad smile on his lips. Rose's strength was all but gone and yet still she managed to speak.

'It's all right, my love, I understand,' she began puzzling him, 'You can leave after I am gone...'

Sam touched her forehead. 'I don't understand what you mean, Rosie.'

'My dearest Sam,' she began, 'I know that you've heard the Call of the Sea for a very long time now. It's all right for you to leave if that is your wish after I am gone. I give you my blessings to follow your heart, my dearest love.'

***
'It wasn't even an hour later that your mother passed away,' Sam said wiping away another tear, 'Ellie, since your mother gave me her blessings to leave, and since all of you kids are of age, I think I shall be departing for the Grey Havens soon. I want to sail West with the last of the Elves when they leave Middle Earth.'

'And as a Ring-bearer, you've earned the right to go with them to the Undying Lands,' Elanor said.

Sam nodded. 'Yes.'

Elanor hugged her father again. 'Oh, Daddy, I will miss you but like Mother I understand why you want to leave.'

Sam rubbed her back as he held her. 'Thank you, Ellie.'

"Tell me, how soon will you leave for the Grey Havens? Should I tell the others?'

"I think I shall set out for the Havens in September, around the 22nd I think," he replied. 'No, don't tell your brothers and sisters yet that I am leaving. When the time comes, I'll call everyone together for a farewell party here at Bag End a few days before I leave.'

Elanor nodded, sighing, 'Daddy, don't send for us when it's time. I want to say goodbye to you when you pass through the Westmarch on your way to the Grey Havens.'

'All right, Ellie, if that's what you want, we'll say our good-byes there,' he replied.

Elanor pulled away. "We'd better go back inside before they send out a search party to look for us.' Sam stood up, held out his hand to his daughter, and together they walked back into Bag End.

To Be Concluded...