Sam reentered the kitchen after bringing Frodo the candle. Rose stood beside the stove, wiping her hands on a little flowered apron. He could read the unasked question in her tired brown eyes. See it in the way the muscles of her shoulders bunched and how her normally-clear brow creased with worry. Feel it in the tense air between them.

They did not keep secrets from each other. They never had. Even as far back as when they were children and Rose would come visit Bag End for her reading lessons, she and Sam never kept any secrets from each other. It never crossed their minds to do so. And now he would have to tell her. Sam didn’t think she would understand, but he owed her an explanation never the less.

“He’s all right,” Sam said, striding over to hug his wife. “Look’s like the cold bath did the trick with the fever. He’s awake and alert. Elly’s all right too. She’s in there with him now, serving tea.”

Rose ran her hand through Sam’s sandy-brown curls. “What’s all this nonsense about Frodo glowing?”

Sam kissed her full on the lips. As they separated he replied. “T’aint nonsense, Rosie.”

“Samwise Gamgee. People don’t glow, and that’s a fact.” Rose was beginning to get irritated now. “Don’t you tell me fairy stories like you and Frodo tell the children.”

Sam sat down at the dinner table and sighed. Rose sat down beside him and put her hands in her lap. He turned his head to look her in the eyes. “I’m not making this up, Rose. There are times when I’ve seen a faint glow around Frodo. Or maybe it comes from within him. I don’t know. But I do know that it’s not a trick of the lights. Nor is it something I’m making up in my own head. Others have seen it too. Gandalf saw it. So did the elves at Rivendale. Lord Elrond, in particular. And I think King Strider saw it when the two of us were recovering in Ithilien after doing our business at the fiery mountain. I’m not making it up, and neither is Elanor. She wouldn’t make up something like that.”

“Maybe it was just the moonlight reflecting off his jewel,” Rose said. “You know how excited she’s been lately. She probably mistook …”

“She didn’t mistake anything,” Sam interrupted. “It’s real, Rose. As real as me sitting here beside you. As real as him getting sick. Oh, it’s real all right.”

“Well, if it’s so real why haven’t I ever seen it then?” Rose asked. “We’ve lived together for over fourteen years now. We’ve shared the same bed for almost as long. I know him almost as well as I know you. I’ve seen him sick. Hurt. Confused. Out of him mind. Sorrowful. Happy. Aroused. Asleep. Lost in work. I’ve seen him pale and shivering with cold. I’ve seen him sunburnt. I’ve seen him naked and fully-clothed. But I’ve never seen him glow.”

“And I hope you never will,” Sam said.

“That is not funny, Samwise Gamgee,” she said. “First you tell me Elanor’s seeing him glowing. Then you say you’ve seen him glowing. But I’m not supposed to see it? Make up your fickle mind.”

Sam sighed again and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. “Rose… I …”

“No,” she interrupted. “I don’t want to hear it. I’m tired. I’m going to go see for myself.” She abruptly stood and removed the apron. “Your dinner’s in the oven.”

“Wait!” Sam grabbed her hand. “Before you go see him, promise me something. Don’t mention this to either Mister Frodo or to Elanor. I’ve taken care of Elanor. It’s terribly important, Rosie, that Frodo not know about it.”

“Why?” she flatly asked.

“You know how close we came to loosing him to the Elves back when Elanor was born,” Sam said. “He was ready to leave Bag End and go with them on their grey ship across the sea. And you want to know why he was so willing to leave?” Sam could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. “Because he felt he was so changed. So different. So ‘not normal’ or ‘queer’ like rude folk round here say. He didn’t fit in no more, and he knew it.”

Sam stood and hugged Rose fiercely to himself.

“The only time I’ve seen him glowing is just after he’s decided to come back from death,” Sam whispered. “Stars, I hope I never see it again, ‘cause that would mean he’s almost died again. I didn’t think this time was that serious, but…”

He couldn’t help himself. He began to cry. Tears sprang from his eyes as if a dam had burst. Rose gathered him into her arms, comforting him as she would have one of the children.

“Shush now. Shush. Oh Sam. It will be all right.” Rose could feel the hot tears on her bare neck. She gently rocked him back and forth as they stood intertwined in a fierce embrace. “Shush my dearest. Mustn’t let Elanor hear.”

Sam managed to get himself under control, but he continued to hold fast to his emotional support. For Rose was his anchor. The rock upon which the entire combined family depended. “Ah, Rose,” he finally whispered, “I didn’t realize how much I’ve been holding that inside. I didn’t know he was that sick. I … I didn’t know! But then Elly came in like that, and … Well, I thought we had lost him for good.”

“Sam?” Rose said, “what does the glowing have to do with Frodo being sick?”

“Oh Rose,” Sam sighed, “no one ever told me this straight out, but I think Frodo can choose when he’s going to die. And that cursed THING he had to carry, changed him. It hurt him terribly. I think it planted something deep inside him which is still trying to kill him. And it will take him any chance it can get. All Frodo has to do is let go for a little bit. Then… poof… he’s gone and it’s finally had its revenge. The two times I’ve seen that glow on him are right after he’s decided to not follow the path to death. Somehow he found a reason to hang on. He’s made a conscious decision to stay here. And that’s when his soul becomes visible. That’s the glow, Rosie. We’re seeing his soul shine through. And I don’t want to see it. ‘Cause that means he’s almost died again.

“I didn’t want to frighten Elly more than she’d already been, so I only told her a little bit of what I just told you.” Sam sat down abruptly. “I hope I never see it again, beautiful as it is. Moon and stars, he’s been through so much.”

Sam propped his elbows on the polished wooden table and cradled his head in his hands. It was too much for him. So many things he couldn’t get out of his head.

“He didn’t always look like this,” he whispered. Rose came behind and began to massage Sam’s tight shoulders. “I remember when he was healthy. Do you remember him, Rose? Before him and me and Mister Merry and Mister Pippin left for the War?”

Rose didn’t answer, but patted him on the side of his arms. She let Sam continue talking. He needed to voice his concerns and frustrations.

“Mister Frodo was full of life and fun back before the quest,” Sam continued to talk into his hands. “Oh, most folk thought him too serious and studious for their tastes. But I knew him as a rather carefree hobbit, despite him carrying around the tragedy of his parents early death. I mean, I think he did well even before he came here to live with old Mister Bilbo. He had color in his cheeks back then. And he was a good dancer.”

Sam looked up at Rose. “Do you remember his dancing?”

She smiled, nodded and continued to massage his back. “He had a nice voice too,” she quietly said.

“Yes.” Sam’s eyes softened with remembered good times. “Sang well and often. Him and me frequented the inns on the weekends. But I guess you knew that.”

Rose bent down and kissed him on the cheek. “If I remember correctly, you two were always at the Green Dragon on Friday nights.”

Sam smiled crookedly. “Yes. I knew this comely lass who worked behind the bar there. A right looker, she was. Gay ribbons in her pretty golden hair. Always a smile for us whether we was coming in or goin’ out. I think Mister Frodo didn’t mind the view either.”

“Whatever happened to this comely lass?” Rose whispered, then bent down and nibbled at Sam’s ear.

“Ah, the usual thing which happens to comely lasses round here,” Sam teased. “She went and got herself married and had a bunch o’ kids.”

Rose’s massage turned to playful, but hard, hand chops about the shoulders. Sam laughed, and in one smooth motion, got up out of his seat and had her by both wrists.

“You didn’t let me finish the story,” he grinned and kissed her. She was wonderful. He let go of her wrists, which promptly moved around him to pull him closer. Saucy and lithesome, Rose pressed herself into his embrace, demanding and receiving his mouth. She tasted so good! The taste of Rose. Like nothing else in the world. Except for Frodo’s mouth. Different from Frodo. But just as magical. And she was his. His and Frodo’s. He still couldn’t believe his good fortune, even after all these years.

The kiss finally ended, and Sam held his bride of fourteen years in his arms, letting a finger gently tease one of Rose’s nipples. “That lass I was talking about?”

Rose nodded and muttered an encouraging, “Ummm???”

“She’s a very clever lass. She took two rather messed-up hobbits and created the happiest family in the whole world,” he tenderly said. “There’s nothing in the world more precious to me than the three of us, unless it’s the children. And I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize this family. If it means us keeping this little glowing thing a secret from Frodo, then we’ll do it.”

Rose nodded solemnly. She could tell Sam was dead serious.

“I don’t want Frodo to know that I’ve seen him glowing,” Sam continued. “It would ruin everything you and I have been trying to do for him. This careful wall of normalcy we’ve built for him – this castle of safety and love – this family - would come crashing down. And he would leave.”

Sam held her hands still. “I know he would leave.”

“Mom?”

Sam and Rose turned. Elanor stood at the door.

“Uncle Frodo wants to see you.”