A recess in which father returns to the south east (4)
I believe the answer is:
apse
'a recess' is the definition.
(apse is a kind of recess)
'father returns to the south east' is the wordplay.
'father' becomes 'pa' (pa can mean dad or father).
'returns' shows that the letters should be reversed in order.
'to the south east' becomes 'SE' (abbreviation).
'pa' reversed gives 'ap'.
'ap'+'se'='APSE'
'in which' is the link.
(Other definitions for apse that I've seen before include "Architectural feature in a church" , "place in church" , "inside church?" , "Recess at eastern end of a church" , "where praetor sat" .)