Sleep therapy took place in a room with one curved white wall and a view of the old monastery. Seeing its streaked stone and ravaged eyes reminded Thea of that twilit walk she’d taken over a week ago. She turned away.

It was a bit of plastic fluttering in the wind, a bird, an old bit of paper, a trick of the light.

Not a face.

Rosie patted the empty seat next to her and Thea sat down.

When was the last time someone other than her mother had saved a chair for her? Thea wondered. It took her far too long to come up with an answer.

They had been put into ‘families’ for most group sessions, each one overseen by a sleep guru. Thea’s family consisted of about ten people and she only knew the names of a handful.

‘I used to have an Action Ken to go with my Barbie when I was little.’ Rosie stared dreamily at one of their group, Ethan, over her cup of mushroom coffee as they waited for the session to start. ‘And that guy over there is exactly like a walking Action Ken! You would, wouldn’t you?’ She angled Thea’s face towards him. ‘Wouldn’t you? You would.’

She wouldn’t let go of Thea’s face until she’d agreed that yes, she would. Which she did because Rosie holding her chin and staring at her intently was starting to catch people’s attention. Including Ethan’s.

‘I wonder what he’s in for?’ Rosie continued. ‘I’d like to see one of those people who just fall asleep anywhere. I saw it on a documentary once. They, like, sneeze, and then just collapse to the ground, completely asleep. It’s amazing. I get these night terrors, right? Like, awful, awful night terrors. I wake up screaming, then the dog starts howling and I’m sweating like I’ve run a marathon. It’s just wrong. I mean, I’m single at the mo, but that could change, you know, any day now, and I can’t be waking him up every night like a banshee, can I? It’d put him off. What’s your thing?’

Rosie made it sound a bit like a superpower.

‘I just don’t sleep much,’ Thea replied, a little dazed because talking to Rosie was like being on permanent fast-forward. ‘Don’t get to sleep until it’s time to wake up for work in the morning.’

‘Whoa. Weird.’

On one side of the room there were little canapé trays of vegetables masquerading as something more enticing. Rosie got up and filled a plate, thoughtfully picking through the selection before returning to her seat.

‘Being awake for so long on your own must be boring though, no?’ she said, unwinding a carrot concoction. ‘What do you do with all that time?’

‘Read.’

Rosie blinked.

‘Think.’

Rosie blinked again.

‘Watch television sometimes …’