It’s half past midnight. I’m lounging in the backyard at the cafe-style umbrella-table, with my laptop in front of me and the dog at my side, as raindrops fall in a circle around us. The dog rises with a creak and pushes his wet nose under the armrest to nudge my hand away from the keys. He plods around the table to do the same on the opposite side. Bored, he flops down, swallows, and sighs deeply. The night is cool. I hear the steady chirp of crickets and the wind in the trees as it echoes the sigh.
