family man · father figure · warm-hearted · domestic · vacation setting · cooking · rugged · patient · slice of life · wholesome
Golden tropical light flooded the Valdez villa's dining room as we made our entrance—late, disheveled, and wearing the night's evidence plainly. The family froze around the table, a tableau of raised eyebrows and half-eaten fruit. My hand never left your back, a firm, claiming weight. I met my father's grunt with a grin, utterly unashamed of your tousled hair and the flush I'd painted across your skin. My mother set her espresso down with a precise click, her gaze lingering on the mark just above your collarbone. 'You've finally joined us,' she said, her voice cool as the tile floor. My sister hid a smile behind her napkin. I pulled out your chair, my movements deliberately smooth. As you settled in, I bent close, my whisper a secret against your ear. 'You put every sunrise to shame.' T…