What a darling, beautiful, lovely son you are, my own! You are just perfect and everyone says how much I shine now, though not nearly as much as you, my sun, moon and star. I want to hold you forever and ever and ever, but your da wants to do that too so I must share. I want also to watch you explore your world, for I can see already that though your name is Baggins, there is plenty of Took in you too as you’ve crawled often out of my sight to get into every nook and cranny to see what you can find! You are a bundle of energy and joy and light and you have brought so very much to our lives. Your hugs and kisses goodnight and good morning and your “I love you, Mama” are the sweetest gifts anyone has ever given me.

I love you, my Frodo.

* * *

You are mine, my son, my own little lad and none could be finer or fairer. Your mum and I have waited so long for you, my perfect boy. You are five today and we rejoiced over you and your presents - those lovely flowers that you picked yesterday for Mum and those drawings you made for me that you showed proudly to Mum yesterday. I thought something was up between the two of you when I saw twin mischievous smiles, but she told me she had been sworn to secrecy and you only giggled. You have such a delightful laugh, darling. And you are so curious that many of your fellow hobbits have joked that Baggins is a strange name for you, since you are more Tookish than most Tooks and that’s saying something! But you are a Baggins and you always will be and you have already made us very proud. You take to everything the moment you come upon it, devouring everything you can. You can’t wait to wake, to wash and dress yourself, to wake us too and start your day. You are as full of light as the sun and have as much energy. You eat quickly but I know you are enjoying every bite. Then you are out the hole and running down the lane, pulling your mum or me or both, ready for another adventure. The world is spread out for you, my darling, and you want to take it all in with both arms and laughter and love deep enough to spread out everywhere. You are afraid of nothing, everything is a new experience to be explored and enjoyed. Boating is your favorite, besides eating mushrooms, and you love to draw and dance. I have never seen a happier lad than you, my love, and you are my own, forever my own.

I love you, my Frodo.

* * *

You are a special one, my lad and I am honored to share the same birthday with you. What magic and joy you bring to everyone! You shine, my little one, with your own light, Elven light, and I don’t know what that means, but it makes you so beautiful like they are. I am going to watch out for you, for you will come to great things, you mark my words. You are meant for something grand. I look up at the stars of Elbereth and think of you, sleeping in your crib, shining just like one of them. Your thumb is in your mouth, your hand still wrapped around the latest book I’ve shown you. You are far too young to read on your own yet, but still you have taken it as you have taken to everything. Many a night I’ve held you on my lap and read the stories to you and you’ve sounded out each word to read it back it to me. I couldn’t be more proud of you! You are my own little scholar.

I love you, my Frodo.

* * *

My first clear memory of you is when I was four, though I know you have been with me all my life. Mum told me of how your face shone for the first time since your own mum and da died when you held me after I was born and called me your brother. I’ve always held those words close to my heart and you closer. And such words are close to what I remember myself the day you turned sixteen and you came looking for me and we spent the day together as you had promised we would. You were still sad sometimes, but I could always get you to smile again, and that day was no different. We ran about in the fields, pretending we were fighting dragons and then late at night, snuck into the kitchen to steal more treats as liked to do whenever we could. We weren’t very good at that though because we always started giggling and get caught, but Mum never stayed mad at us too long and she didn’t that time either, though Cook was none too pleased. You had a light about you that I thought was just all mine, well, mine and Cousin Bilbo’s too, because you always glowed when he came to call. He told me the Elves shined like you did, but even brighter and I wondered whether I would ever meet them one day and what they would think of you, a hobbit who had Elven light in him.

We always had the best times, you and I, with all the adventures we had. Even rainy days didn’t stop us from having fun, because we’d stomp about in the puddles and then have water fights in the tub. Or if it was so terrible that Mum wouldn’t even let us out, you still made sure we had a lot of fun, stretching sheets between our beds and building a fort or anything else our imagination could come up with. Then we’d lay exhausted at night, curled up around each other. Life was perfect.

I love you, my Frodo.

* * *

The first time I saw you was on your 21^st birthday when I was nine. You had just come to live with Mr. Bilbo and you had that terrible cold. I felt that bad for you, but it showed me even then that I needed to take care of you, and I have never stopped doing that, and never want to stop neither. I think I loved you even before I met you because Mr. Bilbo was always talking about you and he and I worked very hard to make sure your room was made up just right and you would feel welcome in every corner of Bag End. I couldn’t wait to meet you. I knew you would love it here because there were so many books and Mr. Bilbo was the most especial gentlehobbit anyone could ever meet or hope to know, though I knew you knew that already. I could hardly sleep the night before you came because I was that excited and the night after you came I don’t think I slept at all! I spent all that supper at home talking my head off about you. My Gaffer was none too pleased at all my nattering, but Mum just smiled and my sisters hung onto every word when I said how beautiful you were and how you had your own light that I thought would shine even brighter when you were all better. They couldn’t wait to meet you and begged Mum to be able to go and take you something for your cold, but of course, Mum knew why they really wanted to go and she forbade anything until both households were well. They argued about why was I allowed to go and not them and driving our Gaffer to distraction. He settled it by saying I had business there and they didn’t and they had better settle down or they would never see you. I felt sorry for them a bit for that, but they did settle down quicker than anything. Gaffer grumbled about it for some time more, but Mum just smiled and so did I. And I was right glad I did have business because I don’t know what I would have done if I had been forbidden to go down to the master’s myself and not been able to see you. I knew from the moment I saw you that my place was right with you, no matter where or what or when, fair weather or foul, storm or wind or sun, day or night. I just knew I had to be there for you.

I love you, my Frodo.

* * *

One of my favorite memories was when I was six and sitting on your lap, wrapped in a blanket that you had around us both, sitting on the grass in the Party Field. You had one arm around my tummy and with the other arm you pointed out all the different stars as they sparkled into being as night fell fully. You spoke softly close to my ear and it was like it was just you and me and Merry, all alone in the world and the stars were coming out just for us. Then we laid down on the grass and stared up at the beauty of it all. You held me close and I felt so treasured and loved. It was one of the first times I remember also seeing your light, like you carried starlight inside you, a star come down to earth. I talked to Merry about it and he said that Cousin Bilbo had told him the Elves shined like that, but he had never seen a hobbit do it. I already knew you were special, but that made you even more so. I held you as tight as I could because I didn’t want you to return to the stars. I wanted you here. That night was one of the best birthday gifts you had ever given me, among so many other cherished ones.

I love you, my Frodo.

* * *

I well remember the day you came of age. I had come early for early for Bilbo and I had made arrangements that my fireworks would be part of the celebration. You were so excited that you would finally see them and was nearly beside yourself with awe and wonder when I allowed you to take a peek at them beforehand and even to guard them to keep any young hobbits from running off with any. You were thrilled at first, then quite disappointed when I said that included you. Ah, my sweet lad! It always gave me such joy to be among such innocence as my burdens were many and heavy, but always my heart and soul were lightened when I entered the Shire. That birthday was a big day for you and for Bilbo. You became an adult and you become Master of Bag End. I was sorry to have to leave you so soon for I know your heart was hurt by Bilbo’s departure and mine happening immediately after it.

I was with you on another birthday after your Quest was over and I grieved at the change I saw in you, but I also rejoiced also, that you were still with us, still had the light of Iluvatar’s grace shining in you and remained forever His beloved child. I thought sometimes of what the Mouth of Sauron had said, that you would be released, changed and broken, and I would behold what I had wrought, but then I thought of what I saw in Rivendell after you woke, when I saw your light and I wondered to what end you would come to, but I did not think then it would be evil. Now I am more assured of that, for though you have indeed been changed and broken, not all change is evil. You are also still more fair and beloved than you ever were before. You do not believe it, but you are indeed worthy to sit with those heroes of ages past. I look forward to the day you are fully healed and you are that glass filled with clear light that I saw you possibly becoming. As I do already, I will give glory and praise that day to the One for such a marvel as He wrought in you.

I love you, my Frodo.

* * *

There has been few of mortal kind who have shone like you, Iorhael trannail. I saw it first in Imladris when you were brought, very nearly at the point of death, to my home for healing. I marveled that such a light could be, especially in such a small being and one so close to being claimed by the darkness. Mithrandir, for all his terrible concern for you, smiled when I looked at him in wonder. There was a similar light around the one he introduced as your servant who barely let you out of his sight and was holding onto your hand every moment he could and murmuring to you just so you would know you weren’t alone, that he was still with you, that you were safe. I labored hard to ensure that his words were true. Sometimes I saw you weakly clasp his hand back or breathe his name and his light would flare up in his joy that he reached you. I have never seen such love so deeply and tenderly expressed that I saw coming from him and your response to it, though you were barely clinging to life. He held you within the Circles of the World I think and your own stubbornness not to leave him or any of your friends. How many times I have praised Iluvatar for that will.

I saw you again on your birthday when you returned after your Quest and Panthael was more tender than ever with you and you with him. Your light was still there, but it was fracturing and I grieved at it. The victory had been won but at a price. We would all be paying it for many fair things would now fade away, and I feared one of them would be you. Then I saw the gem my daughter had given you, wrapped around your neck, a thing of light now hanging there instead of terrible darkness, and I saw how you clasped it and how your light would flare then. I know Panthael saw it also, for he would look at you sorrowfully but so tenderly and lovingly, relieved that you had found some release. More and more I saw how akin you and he were, lights melding and strengthening each other for both of your lights would flare also whenever you looked at each other or grasped for one another’s hands.

The next birthday I saw you was the last one you would spend in mortal lands, in the Shire you loved so much and had given everything for. And Panthael was again at your side. You were both sorrowful and your light was even more splintered, but it was still there, still shining, and from the way he looked at you, I know he could see it, had always seen it and would continue to see it, even when you two parted, for such a bond not even the Sundering Seas could break. He would follow the same Road you would soon be taking and my heart was lightened. We owe you very, very much, Iorhael trannail. We owe you everything for nothing would be as it is, if you and he had not succeeded. It is a debt that we could have never repaid if my daughter’s plea had not been answered. I am humbled that you are so gracefully accepting and making another sacrifice, the greatest of them all. It will become a blessing for you, I hope, for it is the only way that we could possibly return to you all that you have given us. We are returning home, but you are leaving home. Still a home I hope you can build there, and a garden, and know that one day Panthael will come and be by your side once more. Then will your light shine the very brightest. I have given my heart to few mortals, but you have it and in some ways you are mine, since I was able to call you back from the darkness you were nearly claimed by.

I love you, my Frodo.

* * *

There you are, you and he together as always and there is joy and sorrow in my heart at the sight. For though they call me Lady of Light, I know you are a lord of light, though you would shy away at such a title. I saw it the first time I saw you and tested your heart and found such wonder and strength and beauty there. What wonders does Iluvatar give to His children, that He would bless us with you.

It is a sad birthday for you today though as we meet in your beloved Shire, and for your faithful servant, but you are still together for a bit longer and you will realize what the One has brought together, He will not part. Your heart will heal and so will his, for you share a large part of his, just as he shares a large part of yours. That will never change and nothing that time or space can do will ever break it. I look at you, so small, so strong, so beautiful, so sorrowful, and I grieve that such terrible burdens were placed on your shoulders, and I marvel that you held them so long, but such was your fate. We were saved from doom by your acceptance of your doom. That is something we only hope you can be healed from where we are going, the only thing we can do that could possibly repay the debt we owe you, that all of Middle-earth owes you. Only the Valar and the One could have made such a payment on behalf of all of us, and I am pleased that my grand-daughter’s plea was answered and that you have accepted it, though it means another sacrifice for you. You are shattered and I can see even now, how your beloved, faithful guardian is hoping with all his strength that where you are going will be able to mend the broken pieces that he has been unable to. The way you look at him shows me how much you appreciate his efforts and how sorrowful you are that it was beyond his strength. The way he looks at you with such bottomless, compassionate love that I know you will keep always with you, even if all the Sea is between you. There will never truly be any space between the two of you. This is the birthday gift you give to him, your heart, your love, your hope, your light during these last days you will have in mortal lands. There is no thanks great enough that I can express to you for all you gave to us. You are not mine, but at the same time you are, since you belong to all of Middle-earth, in that you gave all for it, and for the time I dwelt here, I was part of it.

I love you, my Frodo.

______

A/N: Iorhael trannail is Frodo of the Shire.