This is the first time either of them has mentioned my biological dad. There don’t appear to be any photos of him anywhere and I wonder when and why he left, but this doesn’t feel like the right time to ask. Instead I say:

‘She taught you to dance?’

He nods. ‘Yep. I used to dance quite a lot as a child, and even as a teenager, because it was a good way to meet girls,’ he says. ‘And then my mates started taking the piss and I had exams coming up, so I stopped doing anything like competitions. But if we can’t go out too much this summer, it might be a fun way to pass the time? It’s something to do. You said you play guitar, you’re obviously musical. I think you’d enjoy it and I bet you’d pick it up in no time. What do you think?’

‘Gosh. That’s kind. I don’t know about me being musical, but yes please, I’d like that. I watched some kind of dance show which was on when I was in hospital – they were teaching celebrities to dance. I didn’t know who anyone was, but I loved the costumes.’

He laughs. ‘Oh yes everyone loves that one, whether they dance or not. Which dances did you like best? Ballroom or Latin? Anything you’d like to start with?’

‘I can’t remember. I’ll go with whatever you think.’

‘Cha cha cha? That’s fairly straightforward. Let’s start with that.’

He fiddles with his phone and music comes from the giant speaker in the corner.

‘Right, stand next to me,’ he says, taking my hand. ‘For now, watch my steps in the mirror.’ He moves his feet backwards and forwards, saying ‘ONE, two, cha cha cha, ONE two, cha cha cha, c’mon, you do the same, ONE two, cha cha cha, ONE two cha cha cha.’

I smile and try to follow and soon we are moving to the same rhythm, laughing as I move my feet and swing my hips like he does. ‘Brilliant! You’re a natural!’ he says. ‘Now we’ll try it in hold.’ He puts his hand on my waist and takes my hand. ‘Great. Head up, look at me, that’s it, same steps. ONE two, cha cha cha, ONE two cha cha cha. And then we go into the single hand hold and both turn towards the mirror … yes that’s it! Fantastic.’

We stay in the studio the entire afternoon and by the time we are finished we have a whole routine. I am hot, sweaty and exhausted. But I’m feeling much more at home, and I’ve barely thought about Dad. I feel a pang of guilt.

PART FOUR

24

Stuart

17 January 2022, 03:00

The Caribbean

It’s pretty clear what the situation is as soon as I enter the room.