His Two Miracles | Thomas Barrow

Chapter 42

As he finished his duties for the afternoon, Thomas made his way to the nursery to spend some time with his little girl.

Upon entering the room, he saw her laying on the floor, surrounded by her toys. As soon as she saw him, she let out a squeal of delight and gave him a gummy smile that melted his heart.

Thomas couldn't help but feel his heart swell with love for his daughter.

"Hello, my darling girl. Have you been good for Emily?" Thomas cooed as he picked her up and held Ellie in his arms.

Emily smiled warmly and nodded her head. "Yes, Mr. Barrow. She's been a perfect angel."

With father and daughter soon alone he set Ellie on the floor and gave her some of her favorite toys to play with. She grabbed onto them with her tiny hands and looked up at him, her bright eyes full of wonder.

Thomas sat down on the floor next to her and watched as she explored her toys. But he soon noticed that she was struggling to stay sitting upright and knew it was due to her condition.

"Come here, Ellie," he said, scooping her up and settling her in his lap. "Let's play together."

Ellie looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with joy, and Thomas couldn't help but feel grateful for this moment with his daughter. He stroked her soft hair and talked to her, telling her about his day and asking her about hers, even though she couldn't answer back.

As they played together, Thomas felt a sense of happiness. Being a single father he sometimes felt overwhelmed by the responsibility of caring for a child with special needs. But moments like this, when he could just be with Ellie and forget about everything else, were what kept him going.

"I love you so much, Ellie," he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "You're my everything."

Ellie let out another happy squeal and reached up to grab at his nose. Thomas chuckled and nuzzled his face against hers, showering her chubby cheeks with kisses. She giggled and squirmed in his arms, clearly enjoying the attention.

"You're such a happy little thing, aren't you?" he said, tickling her tummy lightly. "Daddy loves you so much, you know that?"

Ellie continued to laugh and squirm, clearly enjoying the playtime with her father. Thomas felt a sense of peace wash over him as he held her, any worries and stress from the day fading away. In this moment, all that mattered was his daughter and the joy she brought him.

"You know, Ellie," he said, his voice turning serious. "I know things are tough right now. But I promise you, I'll do everything I can to make sure you have the best life possible. I'll always be here for you, no matter what."

Ellie seemed to sense the gravity of his words, quieting down in his arms. Thomas held her close, his heart full of love for his daughter.

Ellie let out a contented sigh and nestled her head against his chest. 

She cooed softly, her small hand reaching up to grasp one of Thomas's fingers. Thomas felt a surge of warmth spread through his heart as he watched her drift off to sleep, her breathing slow and steady.

He moved to sit in the chair next to him and leaned his head back against the chair and closed his eyes, revelling in the peaceful moment. For a while, all was quiet except for the gentle sound of Ellie's breathing. 

Thomas felt contented, grateful for the little bundle of joy in his life.

Thomas was snapped out of his thoughts as Ellie stirred in her sleep. He opened his eyes and looked down at her, seeing her eyes flutter open.

"Hey there, little one," he said softly, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "How's my girl doing?"

Ellie responded with a yawn and a small smile, and Thomas couldn't help but smile back at her.

As Ellie's eyelids grew heavy again, Thomas knew it was time to put her down for her nap. He stood from the chair and left the room to take a short walk to his room in the servants quarters he soon made it to his room and gently placed her in her crib beside his bed and covered her with a soft blanket, watching as she settled in comfortably.

~

As he to read one of his books, he heard soft cooing noises coming from the cot beside him. He glanced over to see her sleeping peacefully.

Thomas couldn't help but smile at the sight of his little girl. He put his book aside and leaned over to get a closer look at her.

"My little bunny," he whispered, running a finger gently over her cheek. "What are you dreaming about eh?"

Ellie stirred in her sleep, but did not wake up. Thomas sat back and watched her for a few moments longer before picking up his book again.

making soft cooing noises that warmed Thomas's heart. As he read, he glanced over at her from time to time, marveling at her innocence and beauty.

"Sometimes I can hardly believe she's mine," Thomas thought to himself as he gazed at her. "But I wouldn't trade her for anything in the world."

Just then, Ellie stirred in her sleep and let out a tiny whimper. Thomas immediately set aside his book and leaned over her cot, gently rubbing her back and whispering soothing words.

"There, there, sweetheart. It's okay. Daddy's here," he said softly.

Ellie calmed down at the sound of his voice and snuggled back into her blankets, her eyes closing once more. Thomas watched her for a moment longer, taking in the sight of her peaceful expression before returning to his book.

As he read, his mind wandered back to the day Ellie was born. It had been a difficult time for him, and he had been in labour for some few hours and even when she finally made it into the world she had difficulties of her own. But when he held his daughter in his arms and heard her cry for the first time, it was a feeling like no other and nothing else mattered.

As he continued to read, the sound of Ellie's breathing became a soothing background noise, lulling him into a sense of calm and contentment as he put the book down and fell to sleep himself.