The lover

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The arrival of Merry and Pippin at Bag End changed somewhat the routine that had settled in the Gaffer's home. In the morning, the two Hobbits came down from the Hill to share the first breakfast with Frodo and his hosts. They brought plenty of food and always insisted on doing the dishes, which — at first — embarrassed Hamfast greatly. In the late morning or mid-afternoon, they would take Frodo to the back garden where they would tell him amusing anecdotes of their adventures, or give him news of their country. Meanwhile, Sam would tidy up the bedroom, clean the house, and even go up to Bag End to tidy up the garden a bit.

The presence of Frodo's cousins brought Sam back to his old habits, when he worked for his master under the Hill and Frodo spent his time entertaining his relatives. At times like that, Sam would stay in the background. Even though he wished he could have spent more time with Frodo, he was happy to see that the company of Merry and Pippin gave him back a kind of energy that Sam hadn't been able to give him. Once, when Pippin made a rather silly impersonation of Gandalf, Sam heard Frodo laugh for the first time since his return. His heart swelled with a slightly bitter joy. How he wished he could have been the one for whom this unexpected sound finally rang out!

But he should not be ungrateful. The most important thing was for Frodo to recover. He was still very thin but no more skeletal, his voice was still hushed but he spoke much more often, his skin was still very pale but had regained a certain softness. At night, Sam could still hear him having nightmares, but now that his days were filled with laughter and songs, it seemed to keep the nightmares at bay. Sam could only rejoice in all these changes.
He regularly asked Frodo if he didn't want to go back to Bag End, but Frodo always refused, explaining that he didn't feel well enough to move back there.

'If you didn't live in Bag End too,' Merry joked one day, 'I'd swear you were trying to get rid of him!'

'Maybe Sam's tired of living with his Gaffer and would like to go back to his little room in Bag End!'

Mortified by their remarks, Sam wanted to protest, but Frodo looked at Pippin and asked in a weak voice:

'Small room?'

'You know Sam,' said the young Took, 'always eager to keep to his place. He sleeps in the smallest of the smial's guest rooms.'

'Just like a groundskeeper,' Merry added.

Sam's face had turned scarlet. He was already uncomfortable with the idea of having occupied Bag End in the absence of its rightful owner. He felt very embarrassed to have the details of his accommodation exposed like this.

'Sam,' Frodo whispered and turned to him, 'is that true?'

'Mr. Frodo...'

'You could have taken my room, Sam, you had every right to.'

'I never could have!'

Frodo cast him a sad smile but did not answer.

'Well, never mind,' said Merry, clapping his hands, 'Frodo is quite comfortable here, and I understand why! Your father welcomed us royally. Where is he anyway?'

'At the Cottons', no doubt,' answered Sam in a somewhat sulky tone. 'He's spending a lot of time there these days.'

'I hope he's not running away from us!' joked Pippin. 'Oh, but it's probably because he wants to plan your wedding, Sam.'

'Pippin,' Merry rebuffed him through gritted teeth.

'Well, what? Sam's gonna marry Rosie, aren't you, Sam?'

Sam mumbled a vague answer. He did not understand Merry's reaction, who discreetly threw anxious glances in Frodo's direction before abruptly changing the topic.

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