Now no one greets me. When I close the front door there’s no one to talk to or share things with – be it a pizza or the sofa, or discussing the crap day you’ve had at work. It’s true what they say: be careful what you wish for. Feeling my thoughts darken, I reach for my bag, pulling out its contents to find my phone. The engineers finally showed up to install my Internet, so now at last I have Wi-Fi; it will be good to hear a friendly voice. I scroll through my WhatsApp contacts and pause at Josie’s number. I hesitate, then dial Naomi instead.

It goes to voicemail, so I leave a message. I try to make it sound cheerful and upbeat. About how busy I’ve been. All the plans for the house. I don’t want her to know how lost and lonely I am. How during the day I distract myself but, come the evenings, how depressed and afraid I can feel. Hanging up, I notice a leaflet on the sofa that’s fallen from my handbag. It’s the one the volunteer in the car park gave me. Unfolding it, I read about all the dogs needing homes. Perhaps she was right; perhaps I should get a dog. It would be good company and good exercise and I could offer one a home, even if the roof is leaking.

There’s a link to their website, so I look it up on my phone and begin absently scrolling through the photos of all the dogs that are up for adoption, reading their profiles. It’s a bit like online dating. Sociable, easy-going and energetic. Loves going on long walks in the countryside and cuddling up on the sofa in front of the fire.

It’s a match!

Well, perhaps not the energetic bit; I’m exhausted after spending all weekend decorating and I haven’t actually gone on any long walks yet, unless you count up and down the aisles at the DIY store. I haven’t been very sociable, either. In fact, since moving here I’ve felt like hiding away and have barely spoken to a soul, though in fairness it is the middle of winter and the cold makes you want to hibernate. That said, I did say hello to my neighbours, but they were only here for the weekend, as most of the cottages in my row appear to be either second homes or holiday lets.

Clicking onto the next page, I read the section entitled Things to Think About When Adopting a Dog. Underneath there’s quite an exhaustive checklist; owning a dog is a lot of responsibility, including a bit about ‘dogs needing a routine’. I think about my own life, and how everything’s such a mess right now. Actually, on second thoughts, perhaps I should wait.

‘Please, Dad. Please can we get a puppy?’ I suddenly hear Josie’s voice in my head and glance across at the mantelpiece, at the photo of the two of us as children. After Mum died, we used to beg and plead with him, but we were always moving around and our various landlords would never allow it. It wasn’t until I got married that it would have been a possibility, but David was against it. ‘I’m allergic to cats, and dogs are too big a commitment,’ he said dismissively.