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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Three weeks had passed since Ellie's first day at school, and she was slowly settling into a routine. Thomas was proud of how well she had been adapting.
Thomas found himself in the servants' kitchen with Ellie sitting in her wheelchair next to him. Mrs Patmore was busy baking a cake, and Ellie was watching her intently. "C - can I help, Mrs Patmore?" Ellie asked, her eyes wide with excitement.
Mrs Patmore smiled at Ellie and nodded. "Of course you can, dear," she said "Why don't you help me mix the ingredients?"
Ellie began to mix the ingredients with her hands. Thomas watched as she concentrated on the task at hand, her face scrunched up in concentration.
As Ellie mixed the ingredients, she suddenly looked up at her father and grinned mischievously. Without warning, she reached out and grabbed a handful of flour, smearing it across his cheeks. Thomas blinked in surprise and then burst out laughing. "Oi! cheeky" he said, grinning at his daughter.
Ellie giggled at her father's reaction, delighted with herself. She continued to help Mrs Patmore with the cake, her hands covered in flour and her face lit up with joy.
She loved spending time with her father, and she knew that he loved her more than anything in the world.
As Mrs Patmore finished baking the cake, Thomas and Ellie helped her decorate it with frosting and sprinkles. Ellie was delighted with the finished product.
"Thank you, Mrs Patmore," Ellie said, beaming at the cook. "This was f - fun."
"You're welcome, my dear," Mrs Patmore said with a smile. "Anytime you want to bake with me, just let me know."
Ellie nodded, feeling grateful for Mrs Patmore's kindness. She knew that she was lucky to have so many caring people in her life, and she was determined to make the most of every moment with them.
~
A little later that day Ellie wanted to try and do her maths homework though not long after she had started it was clear it was becoming a bit of a struggle for her but she didn't give up.
It says 'If John has 3 apples and he gives 1 apple to his friend, how many apples does he have left?' Do you understand the question, sweetheart?" Thomas asked as he leaned in to look at her workbook.
Ellie looked up at her father, her big pale green eyes filled with concentration as she thought about the question. "John has three a - apples," she said slowly, counting on her fingers. "And he gives one t - to his friend. So he has t - two apples left?"
"That's right." Thomas replied, giving her a proud smile. "Now, let's try the next one. 'If there are 10 birds on a wire and 3 fly away, how many birds are left on the wire?"
Ellie furrowed her brow in concentration as she thought about the question. "So...there are 7 birds left on the wire?"
"There you go, you've got darling."
Ellie beamed at her father's praise, feeling a sense of accomplishment. "Thank y - you, Daddy," she said, looking up at him with adoration in her eyes.
Thomas leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. "You're welcome, sweetheart. Now, how about we take a break and have some hot cocoa and biscuits?"
Ellie's eyes lit up at the mention of hot cocoa and biscuits, and she nodded eagerly. "Yes please" she exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.
Thomas chuckled at his daughter's enthusiasm and got up to make the hot cocoa and fetch the biscuits.
"Here you go, darling. You're hot cocoa and biscuits," Thomas said, placing them in front of her.
"Thank y - you, Daddy," Ellie replied with a smile, her eyes lighting up as she looked at the steaming cup of cocoa.
Thomas sat down at the table next to her. He looked at her with a sense of pride and love, feeling grateful for the beautiful little girl sitting beside him.
Ellie took a sip of her cocoa, her tiny fingers wrapped around the cup. Thomas watched as she struggled to hold the cup steady.
"Do you want me to help you with that?" Thomas asked, reaching out to hold the cup for her.
"No, Daddy. I c - can do it," Ellie replied, determined to do things on her own.
Thomas smiled at her, feeling both proud and sad at the same time. He knew how difficult it was for Ellie to do simple tasks, but he also knew how determined she was to do them on her own.
"Okay, Ellie. You can do it," Thomas said, watching as Ellie struggled to lift the cup to her lips.
After a few moments of trying, Ellie managed to take a sip of her cocoa, a look of triumph on her face. Thomas couldn't help but smile at her, feeling proud of his little girl's determination.
