All was silent as a gentle wind swept across the dew kissed grass around the gardens of Bag End. The sun had just begun to rise over the distant horizon touching her golden rays upon the face of a single lone soul sitting upon a small wooden bench along the garden path. It was Sam. His hair had long turned grey and his tender curls fell along his brow, as he looked high into the sky trying to hold back the tears that filled his eyes. The sound of footsteps fell softly behind him and he turned as a deep sigh passed through his lips while he took his hand to his cheeks to turn away a single tear.

"Ellie." He whispered trying to bring a smile to his face as he held his arms out to his daughter Elanor. She came into his arms and left a tender kiss upon Sam’s cheek as she knelt on the ground before him holding his trembling hands tightly within her own.

"I came as fast as I could father." She replied softly. "How is she?"

"Not well I am afraid." Sam said quietly as he turned back to the open window of the study. "Your brother is inside with her now. She rests though it shall not be much longer." Sam then grew silent as he took his eyes away from the window looking to the roses that had begun to open with the coming morn. Their soft fragrance filled the air with the passing breeze as it came through Sam’s hair. He closed his eyes thinking back of happier days when his beloved Rose was bright and merry as she was in her youth. To the days when he wished for nothing more than to be at her side. Yet the time was now upon him when those days would be no more. Just then he heard his son Frodo call out his name and he opened his eyes turning to the garden path as his eldest son came quickly to his side.

"She calls for you father." Frodo replied. "Her face is wet with tears for she thinks Elanor has not yet come." Sam then turned to Elanor drawing his hand along her cheek as a tear fell from her eye. She then stood to her feet brushing away the small clippings of grass that had clung to the hem of her satin blue dress. A faint smile fell upon her face for it seemed to her that even when his heart was saddened her father could not neglect the gardens. Sam came up from the bench looking deep into Elanor’s eyes as she took his hand to steady his steps. Slowly he began his way down the garden path stopping for but a moment to reach his hand out to a freshly bloomed rose as a drop of crystal dew fell from its silken petals. He caught the bit of dew upon his fingers and drew his hand away from the crimson blossom watching with a heavy heart as a petal from the rose fell to the ground. Sam shook his head gently and then turned away continuing on down the path saying not a word as Frodo and Elanor fell into step along his side.

*******

As they came onto the front walk Sam noticed the deep green round door was opened just as Rose always liked when the morning was warm and bright. It was the end of June and the wind that blew across the Shire brought with it the refreshing calm of the far and distant lands that Sam now only knew as a memory. Sam came inside quietly and the faces of all his children turned to him lost of all the smiles and brightness that was once within their eyes. Sam placed his hand upon each and every brow as he came through and dried away many a tear before he took Elanor by the hand leading her through the den and down the hall to the room where her mother lay in rest. A month had passed since she last saw her mother for she had been in service to Queen Arwen wife of King Elessar, residing with them in Minas Tirith for some time over the past year. The light of the morning sun filled the hall as Sam slowed in his steps waiting for Elanor to come to his side. Her head was held low and her hands were clasped before her as she came to her father’s side looking up to the open door at her left side. There her mother lay nestled within her soft feather down bed with her favorite quilt pulled up around her as her hands rested upon her chest. Sam quietly made his way into the room bringing a wooden chair up along side the bed. Elanor stood in silence at the doorway watching as her father took her mother’s hand up into his own, drawing it up to his trembling lips. A soft kiss fell upon Rose’s hand and she opened her eyes as the sweet smile Sam had so grown to love came to her face once again.

"She has come." Sam whispered softly as he took his fingers through Rose’s long grey curls that hung loosely around her face. Rose turned to the door and tears of joy fell from her eyes as she reached a hand out to Elanor as she came to her side.

"I thought I would not see you again my dear." Rose quietly whispered into Elanor’s ear as she knelt down to leave a kiss upon her mother’s cheek.

"I have come." Elanor said softly as she sat upon the bed taking her mother’s hands into her own.

"Though I only wish I had not stayed away so long dear mother."

"Nay, all is well." Rose replied with a smile. "You are here with me now. As are you all." Rose said as she turned to the door. There gathered in the hall were all her children and she took a hand from Elanor raising her arm to welcome them into the room. One by one they came to her bedside and Frodo came to stand behind his father placing his hand upon his shoulder.

"The days have been many." Rose whispered. "And yet they seem so few for I could not have asked for anything more than what I have had with all of you." Rose said as she looked to Sam taking one of his hands into her own. "There are no need for tears my love." Rose whispered as a tear fell slowly along Sam’s cheek. She reached her hand to his face gently drying away Sam’s tears as her fingers fell softly upon his skin. "Happier days are soon to come. But happy or not I must leave them now. Farewell." Slowly Rose’s eyes closed as her hand gently fell away from Sam’s face with her last breath of the warm Shire air. No words were spoken as Sam tenderly placed Rose’s hand onto her still breast before resting his head upon them while tears fell from his eyes. It was at that moment when time seemed to stand still to all within the room, for a deep silence surrounded them all while yet another petal fell from a crimson blossom within the garden, as one less rose would now bloom under the sunlight sky.

*******

Nearly two months had come to pass as the summer began to fade with the coming of fall when Frodo found his father within the study early one morning lost in his thoughts. A gentle breeze swept through the Shire and the window to the study was opened overlooking the western sky. There Sam stood with his eyes fixed towards the distant horizon while a candle burned steadily on a table nearby. A single crimson rose still wet with morning dew rested on the table surrounded by small clippings of grass most likely fallen from work worn hands. On many days Frodo had found his father in the same place, yet the sorrow within his heart still could not seem to keep him away from the garden even when the Shire was wet with rain as it was this day. Frodo said not a word as he came into the study watching as the open pages of the Red Book that lay upon the desk turned aside with the passing of a cool wind. Sam then turned his head slowly reaching out to close the cover when he took notice of Frodo coming to his side.

"I did not even hear you come in." Sam said softly as he slowly closed the cover of the Red Book.

"I have been close for some time father." Frodo whispered setting his hand upon his Sam’s shoulder. "Many days have passed since I last saw you outside of this room."

"That they have." Sam sighed while taking his glance back to the open window. "And through them all so many thoughts have been within my mind."

"How so?" Frodo asked quietly as he looked to his father’s face that had begun to grow wet with tears.

"I have been writing and thinking." Sam replied as he turned back towards Frodo. "Longing and wishing for things so to say."

"Longing?" Frodo quietly replied.

"Aye. Even now I hear it Frodo my lad." Sam said softly looking far into the western sky. "I close my eyes and it is calling… calling me to the sea."

"To the sea?" Frodo whispered.

"I have had all I could ever want and more." Sam replied quietly. "Yet now there seems to be little left for me here in the Shire and right now I could think of no better place to be."

"So your time too has come." Frodo sighed trying to hold back his own tears.

"That it has." Sam said turning towards Frodo. "Though it pains me to know the sorrow that shall be with you upon my leaving. Even you know I am not fond of goodbyes."

"I know father." Frodo replied as Sam looked down to the rose resting near his side. "Will the day come soon?"

"I can not say." Sam whispered as he took the blossom up into his hand. He pressed the fragrant petals close to his nose taking in their sweet aroma reminding himself of the scent that often lingered within the halls of Bag End when his dear sweet Rose would bring fresh cuttings of the flowers within the garden inside with the dawning of every morn. He closed his eyes tightly holding onto the memory when he heard his son call his name.

"Father?" Frodo whispered setting his hand on Sam’s arm. Sam opened his eyes slowly and turned to Frodo with a tender smile upon his face.

"I still see her face and hear her voice." Sam said softly. "It is though she is still here even when she is so far away."

"Much like your dear friend Frodo Baggins." Sam’s son replied quietly.

"Yes." Sam replied with a sigh as his eyes fell upon the distant horizon again. A deep silence filled the room and then Sam turned to Frodo his face wet with tears as he whispered… "Perhaps it is his voice I hear calling me to the sea."

*******

As the nights began to chill with the coming of September Sam found himself sitting before the fire within the study lost among his thoughts once more as he held a well worn book within his hands. It was one of his favorites read to him many years ago by Bilbo when he was just a small lad. Sam looked to the book as it rested on his lap casting a shadow on the wall nearby from the warm glow of the fire. He set his hand on the dusty cover slowly drawing his fingers around the silver letters that had been struck into the side of the binding with the words Elvish Lore. A deep sigh passed his lips and he turned to the desk looking to the open pages of the Red Book as it lay awaiting the touch of a pen to its pages once again. Sam placed the book within his lap on the floor as he came away from his chair standing before the desk, his eyes wet with tears. The soft glow of the harvest moon shone brightly through the window casting a silver gleam upon a piece of paper that his hand had just written upon a short time ago. With trembling hands he took the paper into his hands folding it over once before closing the cover of the Red Book. He drew the book close to his chest then placed the folded paper onto the desk where the book once sat. This was the day when his story would finally come to its end. Resting on a chair nearby was a knapsack long faded with the blazing sun from the vales and valleys traveled through on an adventure so many years before. Sam slowly placed the Red Book inside followed by the small brown leather book that lay upon the floor near his chair. Sam then drew the pack up over his shoulder silently making his way from the study and down the hall to his room that he had now given to his son Frodo. Sam pushed the door open softly making not a sound as he came inside the room shadowed in the light of the small fire that burned slowly within the hearth. Frodo slept soundly within his bed with his wife nestled close to his side. A smile passed over Sam’s lips for they reminded him of the warmth he so missed when his dear Rose was once in peaceful slumber in his arms while they slept through the night. Sam turned away and then went to the closet opening the doors but a crack to peer inside. There stacked between old shirts and trousers was his cloak last worn so many years before when his dear master Frodo still was with him in the Shire. Sam rested his hand upon the soft material drawing it between his fingers as the silver leaf broach clasped near the hood shone in the light of the fire. For a moment he stood in silence remembering days of old but then he turned to Frodo as he slept soundly nearby. A deep sigh passed Sam’s lips and he took his hand away from the cloak pushing it back under the shirts that rested within the closet. He then brought his pack down from his shoulder and reached inside tearing away a small section of paper from a parchment within. A quill pen rested on a table beside the hearth and Sam took it into his hand writing a few quick words upon the paper. He then took a pin from the table last used with Rosie’s hemming from a dress made when Elanor was just in her tweens. He fastened the scrap of paper to the cloak and turned away closing the closet doors ever so quietly before leaving the room saying not a word as he looked to his son for one last time. Sam made his way down the hall and into the den reaching for his walking stick that rested along side a chair that had remained empty for many months past. He then made his way to the front door stopping for but a moment to take down a long faded and well worn grey cloak that hung from a hook nearby. He brought the cloak over his shoulders and tied it gently bringing the hood up over his head. His hand then slowly felt for the bright golden knob upon the front door and he turned it gently opening it to the cool breeze of September air that fell along the Shire as he finally succumbed to the lure of the sea.