Rosie took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes.  She stretched her toes towards the stove, poking Alfie.  The dog grumbled.

‘Fortuitous event happening in under a minute affords another opportunity.  Six, six.  No letters yet.’

Alfie yawned.  Rosie set down the paper, yawning too.  Ten o’clock.

She checked her phone as she waited for the kettle to whistle.  No messages.  No missed calls.  One email, from the Head thanking his staff for their hard work ahead of tomorrow’s inspection.  Nothing from Fi.  Rosie resisted texting her.  She didn’t want to appear desperate, though as she sat sipping tea from someone else’s mug that’s exactly how she felt.  Forty-six, sofa-surfing on a narrowboat, and nursing a broken heart.  All her own stupid fault.

Alfie twitched in his sleep.  He didn’t care as long as he had his basket, ball and food, although Rosie imagined his one cocked ear still listened out for Fi’s motorbike.

A tremendous thud right above her made Rosie’s heart stop.  Alfie rushed to the hatch, hackles up, raising the dead with his fierce terrier’s bark.  Rosie grabbed the poker, swallowed hard, holding her breath as she slowly opened the hatch.  She raised the poker and stepped on to the deck.  Alfie growled up at the cabin-top.

‘Am I dead?’ asked a low voice above her.  She shrieked, dropping the poker.  A pair of dark eyes peered at her between a tangle of long wavy hair and tangle of long wavy beard.

‘N-n-no.’

‘Bugger,’ he sighed, making the boat rock as he clambered to his feet.  Alfie renewed his barking.  The man reached into the pocket of his heavy coat and flung something towards him.  The dog swallowed the biscuit whole, wagging his tail.  Alfie’s new best friend sighed more deeply, and lowered his bulk on to the deck.  He stood rubbing his head, staring at the road bridge overhead.  ‘I was sure I’d drown if I jumped.’  Rosie smelt beer on his stale breath.

‘What, and ruin all those dog treats?’  As she said it Rosie grimaced.  What a pathetically trite thing to say.  But the man gave her a smile that was like the sun bursting out from behind a dark cloud.  ‘You’re so right!’  He reached down and patted Alfie on the head, throwing him another biscuit.  He scrambled off and disappeared down the tow path into darkness.

Rosie stood listening to the water lapping, trying to figure out what had just happened, not knowing if she was awake or dreaming.  She gazed up at the inscrutable full moon.

Back inside she washed her face, cleaned her teeth, changed into her pyjamas and pulled the duvet up to her chin.  Alfie settled at her feet.

But the Sandman was busy elsewhere and sleep would not come.  Rosie got out of bed, made more tea and picked up the paper.  She saw the answer straightaway this time: ‘Second chance’.

She reached for her phone to text Fi.  Surely karma would be on her side tonight.