‘Is it? You’d like that, would you? Standing around for hours while Corinne prances and poses, all smiles in front of the camera, but out of view always moody and dissatisfied?’

‘They’re teenagers. What else are they going to do with their time?’

‘It’s pretty harmless,’ Abi offered.

‘Harmless!’ Guy laughed. ‘What do you think this is all about, really?’

‘Having fun. Being inventive. Experimenting with the medium.’

‘I will tell you what it’s about,’ Guy said, waving away her list dismissively. ‘It’s about deception.’

He leaned back while the waiter took his empty plate, and once the table was cleared, he leaned forward again, intent now.

‘When I see these images of hers, I do not recognize the girl in them. That is not my daughter. It’s a fake.’

‘So what if it’s aspirational?’ Mark interjected. ‘Adolescence is about trying on different selves, discovering what you want to be.’

‘But why like this? With such dedication. And what about the audience?’

‘She has a very big following,’ Abi remarked, and Valentina shifted anxiously in her chair, her eyes flickering to Guy who waved his arm with a flourish, and said:

‘Another deception! Twelve thousand followers? Please! She bought them!’

‘What?’ Abi laughed nervously. Guy had grown voluble and people around the restaurant were starting to look over.

‘You think I’m joking?’ he ploughed on. ‘She stole money from us and used it to buy followers. This is real. This is something you can do. You buy an ad that’s designed to look like a post that promotes your account. It’s called “boosting your profile”,’ he informed them, making little inverted commas with his fingers, ‘so she can become an influencer,’ articulating the word with disgust.

‘How much did she pay?’ Abi asked.

‘Two thousand euro,’ Valentina admitted, her eyes flashing apologetically.

‘Really?’ Abi could scarcely believe it.

‘You call it art,’ Guy said. ‘I call it devious.’

‘You’re very hard on her,’ Mark stated. ‘She’s just a kid.’

Guy looked down, quietly saying: ‘You can love your child and still see her faults.’

‘It must be hard for Corinne though,’ Mark pushed on, ‘growing up in the shadow of her older sister.’

‘What do you mean?’ This from Valentina, an instant response. The smile was still on her face, but it seemed defensive.

‘Well, we’ve heard all about Anouk, haven’t we? Her academic achievements, her sporting success. I mean, a scholarship to McGill? I’ve seen all the pictures you have of her round the house. I just wonder what it’s like for Corinne, trying to live up to her sister. It seems impossible. All these things you’ve been talking about – Instagram, anorexia, the deception and fakery – I just wonder, might it all be a cry for attention?’

He took a sip of water, his mouth dry after his little speech.