Chapter 5: To Look Upon a Starry Sky

In which hearts are revealed

There had been a knock at the door. A knock that made my heart flutter! Not very many folk came to our door, and I could only guess who it was. I checked myself over in my bedroom mirror before running to yank open the door. It had to be him! It had to be him…

…it wasn’t.

I had held company with Dowd Grubbs twice before at a party. He was a friendly lad, but he wasn’t Sam. Dowd asked if he could escort me to one of the Burrows lad’s birthday party that night. It wasn’t long before it would start. I looked over his shoulder. The one I was looking for wasn’t there. I politely smiled at Dowd and accepted his offer - wishing deep in my heart that it were Sam standing there offering.

We arrived at the party, and I immediately asked Dowd if we could dance. There was always a lively band at parties. I loved to dance, but this time, I wanted to balk around to see if I could find Sam in the crowd. We spun around the dance area a few times before I finally found Sam sitting at a table with Mr. Frodo. His back was turned to me, but I had caught a glimpse of his face. His shoulders were rather slump.

I frowned. Seeing Sam down made me feel the same. My dancing slowed until I felt the need to just sit and eat a piece of iced cake. Dowd hurried off to fetch a slice for me. I was glad he had left, even if for just a minute.

I slowly ate my cake, savoring its delicious taste. It was really the only thing I was enjoying at the moment. Dowd had left my side again to talk with some friends of his. I placed my empty plate on the table and looked around. Now was my chance! I had to talk with Sam.

Though I had a new dilemma when I started searching for him. I couldn’t find him! He had left the table he sat at and was nowhere to be found. I had almost lost hope when I spotted Mr. Frodo getting another ale. I rushed to him, touching his shoulder. He turned, somewhat surprised and amused to see me.

“Good evening, Miss Rose” he greeted in his always polite tone.

“Good evening, Mr. Frodo. Pardon me for sounding urgent, but where has Sam gotten off to? I truly need to talk with him.”

I blushed at my boldness. I had never sounded so commanding in my life! But Mr. Frodo wasn’t daunted or took no offence. He just smiled knowingly and pointed toward Bywater. “I believe he said he was going to sit by the pond for a while.”

I breathed in relief now that I had a goal of where Sam was. “Thank you very much, Mr. Frodo.” And I rushed off.

So many thoughts, mostly horrible ones, were flying through my head. Did I wait too long? Was I too yielding with Dowd Grubbs? Could I ever show Sam just how much I loved him? It was so overwhelming that I stopped dead in my tracks and repeated over and over for those questions to hush up! I must have stopped at the right spot though, because in the distance I could see a figure silhouetting the water ahead.

I could tell it was my Sam. He was seated on the grass, staring up at the sky it seemed. I walked to him ever so quietly as us hobbits do. He didn’t realize I was beside him until I spoke.

“Beautiful night” I said, sweeping a hand to the starry sky. The stars twinkled above our heads and the full moon reflected on the water. You could not of asked for a better night than this!

Sam turned, surprise spread all over his face. He nodded. “Aye, it is.”

“May I seat?”

“You never have to ask” he said, patting the grass next to him.

I smiled, and took my seat besides Sam. We were there for a very long time, just staring at the stars in pleasant silence. But, Sam began to fidget. He turned to me. “Why aren’t you with the Grubbs lad? I saw you arrived with him at the party and danced an awful lot with him.”

I don’t know why he hadn’t asked that early, but I’m glad he had waited. “Only out of politeness I did.” I hadn’t planned on it, but this felt as the right time to admit…and admit I did. “I really wanted to dance with you.”

“Now, Rosie, you know I’m not much of a dancer.” Sam answered casually.

I shrugged. “That doesn’t matter. You’re the only one I truly want to dance with.” The meaning was more than just a simple dance. I was hoping Sam knew that.

Tears escaped my eyes. I was looking at Sam, but his face was still turned to the water. I reached to touch his shoulder, and he finally looked at me with his own teary eyes. 

“You’re the only one I truly want to dance with too” he admitted to me.

I laughed for joy, and through my arms around him. The feeling had been bottled up for so long, I was thankful it was released and in it’s rightful place.

We stayed there far into the evening - our backs on the cool, soft grass and the stars gleaming down upon us. Sam held my hand firmly in his, absently rubbing mine with his thumb. After a while, he brought my hand to his lips and kissed it. “I love you, Rose Cotton.”

“I love you, Samwise Gamgee.”

For that wonderful moment, nothing could touch us. No sadness, no evil, nothing. It felt as if it’d always be that way.

But, it wasn’t always that way. If we had known at the time what we did now, things might have been different; things might have turned for the worst instead. No absence, no horror, no fear could take away that memory and I held onto it at the most terrible time of our lives.