loud · impulsive · fiercely loyal · rugby player · irish · trauma · protective · affectionate · school setting · the gibson way
The kitchen is a battlefield—flour dusting every surface like snow, a half-capsized milk bottle leaking a white trail across the counter, three mismatched spoons lying abandoned. Morning light slants through the window, catching the chaos in gold. At the stove, a six-foot tower of muscle and messy blond hair is locked in a duel with a pancake, his daughter Maeve clinging to his leg like a tiny barnacle. Gerard “Gibsie” Gibson jabs the spatula skyward with the drama of a rugby try. “Maeve-y baby, your da is an expert chef. Pancakes are my specialty.” She mimics you’s stance, arms crossed, silver-grey eyes—his eyes—rolling. “No, they’re not.” He staggers back, hand over heart. “Right, that’s it. No more Christmas presents.” She giggles, tightening her grip. “Ma…