Now that Frodo’s new bedroom was furnished completely, Bilbo just needed to add the little things that would help make it feel like home to the tween. One rainy afternoon, Bilbo pulled forth several of the old trunks that contained many of his mother’s linens from one of the storage closets in the very way back of the large smial.

The old hobbit smiled fondly as he rummaged through the various linens, blankets, and quilts stored in the trunks, as the rain continued its soothing pitter-patter sound against the roof and windows of Bag End. Every so often, he would come across a piece that he remembered his mother working on and he would stop to reminisce. One trunk in particular seemed to contain much of her prize-winning sewing and at the bottom of the trunk were various faded ribbons that his mother had won at the Free Fairs.

Finally, Bilbo found what he was looking for and he triumphantly held up the white curtains with the finely crocheted blue lace trim that would match the pale blue walls of Frodo’s room perfectly. Along with the new curtains, he’d also come across a decorative pillowcase that would look nice on his … on Frodo’s bed. The pillowcase was made of different shades of blues and greens of quilted patchwork, with a yellow and white daisy embroidered in the middle.

In his mother’s cedar chest, still located at the foot of the large double bed in the master bedroom (where Bilbo now slept), were a few sets of bed sheets and one soft, pale green blanket that were in decent condition. All of the items smelled more of mothballs than cedar and would require a good washing, as would the curtains and the pillowcase.

As Bilbo closed the lid of the cedar chest he felt a sense of completeness to his life that he had never known before and the enormity of adopting Frodo crashed down upon him. His mother’s cedar chest was very old indeed--it had once belonged to his great-grandmother on his mother’s side. Upon her death, Grandmother Took had inherited it and then she had consequently gifted it to her eldest daughter upon her marriage to Bungo Baggins.

“And perhaps when you marry someday, Frodo-lad, you will hand it down to a daughter of your own,” Bilbo whispered, running a worn hand across the smooth wood of the old chest. For no more would he have to worry about his family heirlooms and treasures being sold at auction after his own passing or worse yet, being used (or abused) by the Sackville-Bagginses.

And that, was a very comforting thought indeed to the aging Master of Bag End.

* * * * *

After he painstakingly washed and starched the curtains until they were once again a crisp white, Bilbo hung them on the new curtain rod he’d installed over Frodo’s window earlier that morning. He had almost ruined one of the curains while ironing them out, having accidentally left the hot iron on the delicate cloth while answering the doorbell to accept his mail from the Post-hobbit. He had retrieved the hot iron just in the nick of time before any permanent damage could be done.

Bilbo straightened the curtains out and lovingly ran a hand over the delicate blue edging. He remembered when his mother had made these, long ago. Belladonna Took would be happy to see them being used once again. She would have loved Frodo, her youngest great-nephew, he thought sadly. She would have enjoyed his spiritedness as much as I do.

The next morning, when the sheets were dry and ironed out, Bilbo made the bed up, folding the top sheet neatly over the lightweight pale green blanket. He plumped up two brand new feather pillows and rested them at the head of the bed in their crisp white pillowcases. He stuffed a third, smaller pillow into the decorative pillowcase his mother had once sewn and made sure it lay at the proper angle against the other pillows.

“There, that looks very good and inviting, I think,” he said, smoothing out a wrinkle in the soft blanket. He did not worry about putting a heavier quilt on the bed just yet, as he knew Frodo would undoubtedly want his special quilt in place.*

Bilbo then retrieved a throw rug he had found amongst his cousins’ possessions in the mathom room at Brandy Hall. Cousin Amaranth (the oldest Brandybuck sister) had been able to tell him that Primula had made the round rug of varying shades of blue and white shortly after she was married to Drogo. Frodo would probably not recognize the little throw rug, but he would no doubt treasure it simply because his mother had made it. Anyway, the throw rug went nicely at the side of the bed, displayed right in front of the night table (which had been Drogo’s as a tween) … this way, Frodo’s feet would not hit the cold floor when he hopped out of bed in the morning

Just as he had done at the start of this project, Bilbo stepped back and surveyed the entire bedroom feeling a great sense of satisfaction. All that was missing was his most favorite nephew and soon-to-be heir.

* * * * *

Bilbo was nervous as he sat in the legal writer’s office in Michel Delving. He was here at long last to change the course of the future … his, the entire Baggins’ clan, and most of all, Frodo’s.

He twiddled his thumbs and brushed an imaginary piece of lint off his cloak, folded on his lap, as he waited for the legal writer to return with the adoption papers. He’d waited too long for a proper and deserving heir and he didn’t trust for the all-important papers to be delivered to him by the Post. He wanted them safe and secure.

After the adoption papers were scrutinized to make sure all was in legal order, Bilbo had the legal writer formally strike out his old will and write him a new one as he dictated and made his amends. The new will would be signed in red ink by the appointed number of witnesses at the same time as the adoption papers. By using the same witnesses for both, no one would be able to easily protest the legality of either document.

Once both sets of documents were in order to Bilbo’s satisfaction and all loop-holes seen through, they were notarized by the legal writer with the raised seal of the Shire. Bilbo then returned to Bywater, where he rented a pony cart from Farmer Cotton, and left in haste for Buckland.

In only three more days’ time, both the adoption papers and new will would be signed in red ink by seven witnesses per Shire legal etiquette and Frodo would be his heir!

* * * * *

* See ‘Sewn with Love’ ( a future story coming soon!)