She stood there so proud, face wreathed in smiles, bearing a gift of love for her father. Flowers, still dripping soil from ravaged roots, lay clutched in her delicate hands.
Rose gasped, shifting baby Frodo to her hip, and watched helplessly as Elanor held out her bounty – an armload of her father’s prized lilies. She watched as Sam turned to their small daughter, trusting in her husband’s gentle heart.
“Elanor!” He spoke sharply and his daughter’s sweet smile vanished. Bottom lip trembling, she melted his heart with blue eyes. He knelt, relenting, and whispered: “They’re my favorite.”