I let the words settle as we both stare out at the boats bobbing in the water. ‘You were his son. He should have loved you, taken care of you.’

‘Maybe he did, in his own way.’

From Dan’s body language, I can tell I’ll get nowhere in convincing him how badly his father behaved. ‘So he went to prison, and you went into foster care?’

‘Yes. But I never settled. I didn’t know how to behave in a normal family. Still don’t. I couldn’t even manage four weeks with Casey without fucking up.’

‘You didn’t fuck up. Casey saw an important part of the real you – someone charming and fun who wants to make people happy.’

‘I think you mean a laugh-a-minute chancer who let her down.’

‘For what it’s worth, I saw someone who was trying hard to give her a little joy in the middle of a difficult time. You were what she needed. And . . .’ I hesitate.

‘What?’

‘Maybe what I needed too. With you I had fun, for the first time in so long.’

‘Sure you did. I’m good at making people like me. I’m the “dazzler” my dad raised me to be. But it doesn’t last.’ He stands up.

‘Don’t go. You can still make this work.’ I stand up too, and my mud-spotted legs are unsteady, the muscles tired from racing around Ashton Court, searching for Casey. I don’t have the energy to follow him. But I do still have words. ‘You’ve got a choice here, Dan. Do you want to be your father’s son, or your daughter’s father?’

He doesn’t turn round, but he does stop.

‘Your child rings the end-of-treatment bell tomorrow, and you should be there. Prove that you’re not only here for the fun stuff, but for the serious stuff too.’

He scoffs. ‘She just saw me take a swing at her grandfather. After I lied to her for weeks about the penthouse. Why would she want more of that crap in her life?’

‘What Casey needs is people who love her. And you do, don’t you? You didn’t get love yourself growing up, but it was always inside you, and you’ve worked so hard to show you care.’

‘Caring isn’t enough.’

‘That’s where you’re wrong. You can do this – I believe in you.’ I hadn’t expected to say that, but it is true. When he turns to face me, I catch a glimpse of the Dan I thought I’d got to know. The Dan I was falling in love with . . .

‘Why would she trust me again? Maybe she could have got over the penthouse stuff, in time. But I can’t expect her to forget seeing me fly into that horrible rage.’

‘She might not forget, but if you apologize and try to explain, she might be able to forgive. Because she wants her father in her life, and she deserves far more than a holiday dad, with the treats and the penthouse and the grand gestures. I’ve seen it myself, how she’s changed these last weeks. And part of that has to be down to you.’