Angelica’s eyes narrow, and I can see how much it must hurt her to hear Casey call me that. ‘Dad? He’s decided that this month he’s going to pretend to be a daddy, because he’s bored. But it won’t last. He’s incapable of committing to anything – he’s proved that more than once.’

‘At least he doesn’t try and stop me from living my life. Why can’t you stop being such a bitch?’

‘That’s not fair, Casey,’ Angelica says, and the pain in her voice makes me wince. I can see on her face that she regrets her harsh words too – not because she thinks they’re untrue, but because she cares too much about Casey to hurt her.

‘Nothing’s fair. It’s not fair I’m sick. It’s not fair that we don’t have a proper family, like normal people. Yesterday I got to hang out with grandparents and babies and aunts. It was amazing. So it’s not fair that I’m twelve and I’ve never even had that before.’

‘Yesterday?’ Angelica’s eyes flick over at me. ‘You always claimed not to have family. Unless that was another one of your lies.’

Before I can come up with an explanation that won’t inflame things more, Casey stamps her foot, more like a toddler than a tweenager. ‘Not his family – Gemma’s.’

‘Who the hell is Gemma?’ Angelica speaks each word slowly, as though she’s trying out an unfamiliar language.

‘She owns Bear,’ Casey says.

Angelica shakes her head, still not remembering. ‘Who is Bear? Why are you both talking in riddles?’

‘The dog? From the hospital? You went nuts when you saw poor Bear in the corridor. Like you go nuts at everything that hasn’t been dipped in bleach first.’

‘Casey . . .’ I say, a gentle warning in my voice. ‘Your mum only wants what’s best for you.’

They both glare at me now, their mouths set in identical uncompromising lines.

‘You’re friends with this dog-therapy woman?’ Angelica asks me.

Whatever I say now is going to cause more trouble.

‘I met her at the hospital.’

It seems impossible that I only met Gemma a few weeks ago. And that if I hadn’t been lost on my way to the hospital, I might never have met her at all . . . The thought that I could have missed her makes my ears ring, as though I’m only feet away from a fire alarm.

Angelica laughs bitterly, a dry, snorting sound. ‘Oh, I’ve heard it all now. You told me you were going to devote this month to Casey – but you’ve been using your daughter to chat up women? Is that why you left me at the chalet and brought Casey back alone?’

‘No! That’s not what happened.’

The look she gives me is so venomous I have to look away. But in her eyes I deserve it. Maybe she’s right.

‘Casey, I need to speak to your father alone.’

‘Shout at him, you mean?’

Angelica shakes her head. ‘If you had any idea what he’s put us through, you wouldn’t be sticking up for him.’ Again I hear the exhaustion in her voice.