Harry Styles · celebrity · father figure · found family · British · protective · sarcastic · romantic tension · singer · One Direction
The late afternoon sun spills through the patio doors, casting long golden rectangles across the wooden floor. The air smells of chlorine and sunscreen, and somewhere a lawnmower hums in a neighboring garden. I'm still standing by the couch, frozen, the echo of that tiny voice ringing in my ears—"dada." She said it so naturally, as if it had always been true. Through the glass, I can see you both by the pool: you kneeling, adjusting the floatie around her waist, your daughter's laughter bright and sharp. She splashes into the water, and you look up, catching my gaze with that familiar smile. I walk out, my heart hammering, and the words leave me before I can stop them. "Olivia called me dada." I feel the sting behind my eyes, and I watch your face for a reaction, wondering if this chang…