Happy Birthday!

[claudia603]

Happy Birthday to my friend shirebound!!!!

Yeah, it's a little early, but you'll probably be up earlier than me tomorrow!

May this be a year of renewal, wrist healing, doggies, and everything you love, my dear friend!!

AND as seems to be becoming a tradition, I have a little Too Long to Wait ficlet for you! :) (Also a nod here to S. and baby S. *mysterious smile* if she is reading)



A/N: Ellohir's about 4 months old here.

"That baby smiles more than any I've ever seen," Aragorn said, caressing Ellohir's cheek. Frodo held Ellohir in his lap, struggling to get him into a proper jacket for a family portrait. Luckily Ellohir was in a joyful mood, cooing and offering big smiles to Aragorn and at times sucking on his fist and singing. "But he's getting fat."

"He's a hobbit," Frodo said. "Of course he is." He wiped his own nose with his handkerchief while balancing Ellohir with his free hand. Bother it all, he was coming down with a summer cold during one of the worst heat waves in Minas Tirith.

"But he drinks Alia's milk, and she's not a hobbit, however short of stature she may be." Alia was round and short and would easily pass for a hobbit if she were but about a foot shorter.

"Ah, well--" Frodo let out a loud and violent sneeze. Ellohir startled, but then he looked up at Aragorn with a big smile, as if they had just shared a perfect jest. The smile turned into belly chortles and snorts.

Frodo gasped at Aragorn in wonder, mouth open. "He's laughing!" The baby's giggles were music to his ears. "We're seeing his first laugh!"

This time Frodo pretended to sneeze, and the same thing happened -- Ellohir burst into new, delighted baby giggles. Aragorn laughed, too, and soon the three were laughing so hard they could scarcely breathe.

"You try it!" Frodo said, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes.

Aragorn made a big show of his sneeze. "Ah...ah...ah...CHOO!"

Ellohir stared at him, big blue eyes wide with wonder, before bursting into new giggles and chortles.

"I never want that sound to stop," Frodo said.

"Come," Aragorn said. "I think Ellohir has plenty of giggles in him yet. Let's give our artist something to grin about while he's painting."

He took Ellohir from Frodo then, and Frodo marveled that the babe was his, a part of him, a gift perhaps, for all he had endured during the quest.

"Just to hear that laughter again, I'd do it all again," he whispered. He dabbed some residual spit-up off his dress shirt and followed Aragorn and Ellohir to get their portrait done.

(Artwork done by ellielass way back in the day...:))



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