Something About Us

After Rhys applied the sunscreen to her back, Heather watched him stride towards the far end of the pool, a playful glint in his eyes. She took a deep breath, preparing to swim, unaware of his little prank. As she reached the end of her lap, she surfaced, expecting to see an empty expanse of water. Instead, Rhys was standing right there, a wide grin plastered on his face. Startled, Heather inhaled sharply and accidentally swallowed a mouthful of chlorinated water. She sputtered, coughing and gagging, her face contorting in disgust. "Ew!" she choked out, her throat stinging.

"You okay?" Rhys asked, his eyes widening, a flicker of genuine worry crossing his face.

"Uh, no! You made me drink pool water," Heather retorted, her voice laced with a mix of annoyance and revulsion. Remembering the taste, she covered her mouth and gagged again. "Help me up." The stairs were on the other side of the pool, and Heather had no desire to swim through the chlorinated depths again.

Rhys reached down, pulling her out of the pool. As soon as her feet touched the tiled edge, she turned and sprinted towards their room, her wet swimsuit clinging uncomfortably to her skin. Rhys, a bit worried, grabbed her cover-up from the chaise lounge chair and ran after her, a mix of concern and amusement in his eyes.

"Look at Rhys following after Heather. He looks like a father running after his child," Emmett laughed, watching the scene unfold.

The others joined in the laughter, their voices echoing across the pool area.

Inside the room, Rhys stood patiently in front of the bathroom door, listening to the muffled sounds of Heather retching. After about a minute, he heard the toilet flush, and Heather opened the door, her face slightly pale.

"You okay now?" he asked, handing her the cover-up.

Taking the cover-up and wrapping it around herself, Heather nodded. "Yeah," she said, her voice still a bit strained.

"But, seriously, aren't you acting a bit..." Rhys hesitated, unsure if his question would offend her.

Heather glanced at him, her lips twitching into a small smile. "Overreacting?" she finished. She then opened the door and walked out of the room. "I know. But I can't help it. I'm like this every time I accidentally drink pool water," she explained, a shudder running through her.

"Oh," Rhys said, unsure how to respond. "I see."

They walked back to the pool area, but this time, Heather headed straight for a chaise lounge chair, grabbed her towel, and covered her damp hair before lying down.

"Not going to swim?" Rhys asked, his brow furrowed.

"Later. You go have some fun," Heather replied, her voice muffled by the towel.

"Okay. Then I'll go ahead first," Rhys said, joining Emmett and the others at the second adult pool.

Heather watched him go, then spotted his sunglasses lying on the other chaise lounge chair. She grabbed them, slipping them on, the dark lenses providing a welcome shield from the sun and the prying eyes of others. It would have been better if I had a big hat that could cover my whole face. Should have bought one when I went to the mall last time, she thought, sinking into the cushions. Perfect. Now I can finally relax.

The gentle rustling of the palm trees and the distant chatter of the other guests lulled her into a light sleep.

A while later, Rhys, having swum several laps and chatted with his bandmates, noticed Heather's absence from the pool. He scanned the area, his gaze landing on the chaise lounge chair under the shade of a large tree.

When he reached her, he found her fast asleep, her chest rising and falling rhythmically. The lower left side of her cover-up had slid down, exposing her left leg to the sun.

Rhys sighed, a mix of fondness and exasperation washing over him. What am I going to do with you? he thought. He gently adjusted her cover-up, then used his dry towel as a makeshift blanket to cover her legs, protecting her from the sun's rays.

As he was about to leave, Heather stirred, her eyes fluttering open. She groaned softly, stretching her limbs. A few seconds later, she sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, and noticed Rhys standing near her.

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked, her voice still thick with sleep.

"Not long. I was about to go back to the guys," Rhys replied, his gaze softening.

"I'll go with you," Heather said, standing up. She removed Rhys's sunglasses, placing them back on the chair with the towel, and followed him.

Emmett and the others were at the second adult pool, near the kiddie pool, along with Riza's group and some producers and managers. Her uncle, Tony, was also there with baby Dave.

Heather walked straight to her uncle and baby Dave. "Uncle, let me take care of Dave so you can have some fun," she said, her eyes sparkling.

"Are you sure?" Tony asked, handing Dave to her.

"Yes," Heather replied, cradling Dave in her arms. "Where's Auntie?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe in the room?" Tony replied.

Heather nodded. "I'll play with Dave at the kiddie pool."

The kiddie pool was only a few steps away. Heather removed her cover-up, placing it by the side, and slowly stepped into the shallow water, the cool liquid reaching her mid-thigh. She carefully sat Dave down on the second step, keeping a watchful eye on him. Dave giggled, splashing his hands in the water, sending droplets flying. Heather laughed, playfully splashing him back. The sound of their laughter mingled with the gentle lapping of the water, creating a soothing melody.

The producers and managers watched Heather and Dave, their expressions softening. "She's really good with Dave," one of the managers commented to Tony.

"Yes, he's definitely taken a liking to her," Tony replied, his voice filled with affection. "You guys should have seen him when Heather was staying at the GY Hotel."

"Why, what happened?" asked one of the producers.

"Well... there were times when we couldn't make him stop crying. And whenever we visited Heather at the hotel and it was time to go home, he wouldn't let go of her," Tony chuckled. "You would have thought Heather was his mother and we were the babysitters."

They all laughed, sharing stories of their own children's attachments.

"Well, that happens," said another manager. "That also happened with my youngest daughter. She was so attached to her eldest sister, always following her around and would cry whenever her sister left the house."

Some of those with kids agreed with the manager, while those without kids nodded in understanding.

When Heather heard Dave's stomach growl, she laughed. "Oh my, is my baby hungry? Want to go to Mommy and drink milk?" she cooed, talking to him as if he understood. "Yes, yes, we will go to Mommy now."

Heather lifted Dave out of the water, wrapped him in her cover-up, and walked back towards their room, her heart filled with warmth.