Note: The video above is for toward the end of the chapter, in case anyone wants to listen when the time comes. And you'll know when the time comes.
That Christmas and New Year passed without much fuss from Theodore's perspective. Sure, the Downton staff were as busy as they usually were for the time, but they were all happy enough during the holiday season that none of them seemed to mind. During the day, Ted let them be, visiting with his friends and girlfriend. Later, he went back and spent time with them when they actually had the seconds to spare for a conversation. It all worked out well enough.
He also reverted back to spending time in the butler's pantry with Thomas, the two of them catching up with each other. Their regular telephone conversations had been one thing, but Theodore had truly missed getting these face-to-face conversations with his Dad. Thomas had a knack for showing his thoughts so clearly on his expression that it sent Theodore into laughing. And apparently, Teddy had developed the same skill at some point while he was growing up, which made Thomas start chuckling himself.
When Teddy's exam marks had arrived in the mail, he'd gone straight to Thomas to have someone to open them with. He felt that it was only his dad's presence that had prevented him from panicking about the possibility of failing everything. He knew such concerns were completely ridiculous: he'd studied and felt good about his exams. Yet, there was always that nagging bit in his brain that said he was delusional to even think he deserved to be in medical school. Thomas reckoned those thoughts were remnants of what he'd dealt with in first year.
On the day Teddy was scheduled to go back for his classes, Abi had decided to leave home early and just go back with him. She was meant to start her teaching placement once her program continued, and she wanted to take some time to prepare. So, the two of them said goodbye to Percy and Eleanor together, and they drove back to London.
Their ride was mostly contented silence. They'd seen each other plenty over the break, so Teddy figured that they simply didn't have anything new to say. At one point, Abi started singing some music under her breath, and at another, they briefly discussed their expectations for this new term. Teddy was keeping a good amount of his professors from the first term, so he had a better idea of what he was entering now, which was nice. Abi just hoped that her teaching placement went well. She'd decided that she wanted to teach the early years, children from around six to ten years old. Teddy thought it sounded exhausting, but he was sure she'd be fantastic.
They didn't go straight home upon arriving back in London. Instead, they decided to head to Everett and Geoffrey's flat to stop in and say hello. They'd warned Everett that they'd be coming and, like clockwork, he quickly answered the door when they knocked.
"And there they are! Come in," he offered, opening the door for them and motioning for them to enter.
As Theodore and Abi glanced around, they must have had the same thought. Abi was the one to voice it.
"Is it just me, Ev, or is this place emptier?"
"Oh, yeah," Everett waved her off, walking over to a chair and collapsing into it. "Geoffrey moved out, so his stuff went with him-"
"What do you mean he moved out?"
If Theodore remembered correctly, the whole purpose of Everett living with Geoffrey was so that someone could keep an eye on his substance use habits. Call it his schooling, but Teddy's mind couldn't help but jump to the worst case scenario here.
"Yeah, he decided to go live with Roland. They've been friends longer. It makes sense, really."
"So you're here on your own? Ev, can you even pay the rent on your own?"

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Being a Barrow - A Sequel to Barrow's Boy
Historical FictionTheodore Barrow had done it. After years of hard work, overcoming obstacles, and finding himself, he had made it into medical school. But dreams cannot come all at once, and while trying to navigate his course load, Theodore finds himself thrown int...