This is the story of Thomas Barrow.
Thomas Barrow has been working as the first footman at Downton Abbey for years. He's always been careful to keep his personal life hidden from the prying eyes of the other staff members and the Crawley family. Bu...
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"Good morning, my little bunny," Thomas whispered, his voice still raspy from sleep.
Ellie giggled and squirmed in his embrace, her chubby little fingers reaching up to touch his face. "Daddy!" she exclaimed, her pale green eyes sparkling with joy.
Thomas smiled down at her, feeling a surge of love in his chest. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have this beautiful, vibrant little girl in his life. She was his world, his reason for living.
"You feeling better today, sweetheart?" he asked, running a hand through her soft, raven hair.
Ellie nodded, her smile widening. "Yes, Daddy. N - no more bad dreams."
Thomas sighed with relief. He hated to see her upset, especially when there was nothing he could do to make it better. But he was grateful for these moments of pure joy, when all his worries faded away and he could just be present with his daughter.
He tickled her again, eliciting another round of giggles. "You ready to get up and start the day?"
Ellie nodded eagerly, kicking her feet in excitement. "Yes, Daddy! I want b - breakfast!"
Thomas laughed, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and pulling Ellie onto his lap. "Okay, okay, let's go get some breakfast."
Getting up and starting the day, Thomas dressed in his footman uniform before turning to get Ellie ready for the day ahead.
He proceeded to dress her in a pretty two-tone dress before putting on her leg braces and shoes, while he adjusted the straps on the braces to ensure that they fit comfortably and securely on her legs.
"Okay, let's go brush your teeth," he said, holding out his hand for Ellie to take.
She took it eagerly, her little legs wobbling slightly as she walked. As they made their way down the hallway to the bathroom, Thomas kept a close eye on her, ready to catch her if she stumbled. Once they reached the sink, Thomas helped Ellie climb up onto a stool so she could reach the tap. He squeezed a dollop of toothpaste onto her brush and handed it to her.
"Here you go, Ellie. Can you show me how you brush your teeth?"
Ellie took the brush in her hand, but her movements were unsteady. She struggled to coordinate the movements of her arm and hand, often dropping the brush or missing her teeth entirely and she soon became frustrated with herself.
"It's okay, sweetheart," Thomas said soothingly. "Let Daddy help you."
He took the brush from her and guided it over her teeth, gently scrubbing away and Ellie giggled as the bristles tickled her gums.
"There we go," Thomas said, rinsing the brush under the tap. "All done."
Upon arriving at the kitchen, Thomas set Ellie down in a chair and pulled out a bowl of porridge for her. As he sat down next to her, the other servants greeted him with warm smiles and a friendly "good morning".
Ellie tried to feed herself, but her hands wouldn't cooperate, and the spoon clattered uselessly against the bowl. Thomas took the spoon from her and began to feed her himself.
"Here, let me help sweetheart." he encouraged gently as he brought the spoon to her lips.
Ellie opened her mouth obediently, and Thomas carefully deposited a spoonful of porridge onto her tongue. He watched as she chewed and swallowed before giving her another spoonful.
The other servants watched the scene with a mix of admiration and sympathy. They knew how hard Thomas worked to care for his daughter, and they respected him all the more for it.
Mrs. Patmore, the head cook, spoke up. "Thomas, let me give you a hand. I can take over feeding Ellie while you finish your breakfast."
Thomas shook his head gratefully. "Thank you, Mrs. Patmore, but I've got it. I don't mind."
Ellie reached out to grab his left hand which wore the fingerless glove, and he took it in his own, giving it a gentle squeeze. She smiled up at him, her eyes shining with love.
~
With breakfast over bells rang indicating the family were awake. With everyone starting their duties, taking Ellie on his hip Thomas made his way to the nursery room and once there it was clear she didn't want to leave his side.
Ellie looked up at him with big brown eyes and shook her head. "No, Daddy. I - I want to stay with you."
Thomas crouched down in front of her and brushed her hair back from her face. "I know you do, sweetheart, but Daddy has to go to work. I'll see you later, okay?"
Ellie frowned but nodded her head, and Thomas kissed her forehead before heading out of the room.
As he made his way to the boot room, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. He wished he could stay with Ellie all day, but he knew that he had to work to provide for them both. He pushed the thoughts aside and focused on his duties.
He spent the morning polishing shoes, serving breakfast to the family, and ensuring that everything was running smoothly in the household.
But his mind was never far from Ellie. He wondered how she was doing, if she was happy, if she needed him But he knew it wasn't long before he was due a break and could spend some time with her and return to his duties after until the end of the day.
