The Lost Boys by Lady MSM

Reunion

This one's a bit longer...but hopefully still enjoyable.

Reunion

Earendil sat on the beach, happily digging through the wet sand. He’d found some really great seashells already, and if his luck held up he’d have loads of them to bring back to Ma.

He had to admit, as much as he’d liked their big house back in the city, the Havens were just about the nicest place he’d ever been. There were lots of kids with funny accents, and he got to go outside every day, and the ocean was just great. One of the big boys had caught a fish with his bare hands the other day, and he’d even promised to teach Earendil how to do it. Honestly, if his uncles and Granddad had still been around, things would have been perfect.

“Why, hello, son.”

The voice came from a lady who was kneeling next to him and giving him a sad kind of smile. She had straight brownish-yellow hair and light blue eyes, and Earendil decided he liked her.

“Hello,” he said, and then quickly added, “ma’am.”

The lady’s smile got a little less sad. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Earendil.”

“Nice to meet you, Earendil. What are you digging for?”

“Seashells. For my ma.”

“Oh, I see.” She suddenly looked sad again. “I’m sure she’ll like those.”

“My ma really likes seashells.” Earendil frowned. He wasn’t sure if he should ask why she was sad, but he was pretty curious, so he decided to risk it. “You look sad. How come?”

She looked shocked for a moment, but then laughed. “Well, you’re quite perceptive, aren’t you! Don’t worry, dear, I’m really all right. You just remind me of a little boy I used to know and haven’t seen in a long time.”

“Was he your son?”

“No, not really. But my husband and I took care of him after he lost his parents, so it was almost like he was ours.” At the sound of approaching footsteps, she turned and smiled at the curly-haired man walking toward them. “And there’s my husband now!”

“What have we got here, darlin’?” asked the man. He gave Earendil a friendly wink. “Should I be jealous?”

“Ah, Annael, this handsome young lad’s just been keeping me company ‘til you got back,” the lady said. “I was just telling him he looked like the little boy we used to take care of. Don’t you think he looks like Tuor?”

“Tuor?” asked Earendil.

The man smiled in the same sad way the lady had. “Yes, that was our little boy’s name.”

“Funny,” said Earendil. “That’s my pa’s name.”

The stunned look on both of the adults’ faces made him grin. He stood up and brushed the sand off his knees. “Want to come to my house?

 “Well, hello, dear,” said Ma, opening the door. “And who’s this you’ve got with you?”

“This is Annael and Loswen. They used to take care of a little boy who had the same name as Pa. Can I have something to eat?”

“Just a minute, Earendil,” replied Ma. She turned to the lady and her husband with a big smile. “Did he say your names were Annael and Loswen?”

“Yes, ma’am,” said the lady.

Ma’s smile got even bigger. “Tuor!” she called over her shoulder. “We’ve got company!”

“All right, woman, I’m coming!” There were a few fumbling sounds before Pa walked into the room, looking a little annoyed. But as soon as he saw Annael and Loswen, he stopped dead in his tracks.

“Uncle Annael?” he said quietly. “Aunt Loswen?”

Everyone was quiet for a minute, and then there was suddenly a lot of hugging and yelling and really happy noises. Earendil watched for a minute before turning to Ma.

“Pa’s really happy to see them, huh?” he asked.

“He is,” said Ma, looking like she had tears in her eyes. “And you should be too. Those are your grandparents, dear.”