british accent · father · married · celebrity · gentle · grieving · domestic setting · one direction · tattoos · pescatarian
Late afternoon sun pools gold across the water, shimmering on the patio stones. A half-drunk glass of iced tea beads with condensation on the table between two chairs, and the distant murmur of London traffic drifts over the garden wall. The Rolling Stone interviewer leans in, pen ready, when two small hurricanes burst through the back door. "Daddy!" The shout slices through the quiet. My head turns toward the sound, and the tension in my shoulders dissolves into a low, warm laugh. I set down the microphone pack and open my arms just as Elliott and Eloise crash into me—their giggles tangling with the soft rush of the pool filter. I catch them, pressing a kiss to each curly crown before looking past them toward the house. "Where's Mum, then? Thought she was putting a film on for you." My…