‘I don’t know what to do,’ Kaz said, words suddenly tumbling between sobs that turned into deep gasps for air. ‘Everything is broken and Will’s gone and now I can’t see, I can’t imagine and I don’t know … I don’t know what to do …’

But finally Karl knew what to do. He put his arms around Kaz, and Cris put his arms around them both.

Holly was sitting in her mum’s kitchen, eighteen years old and oblivious to the freshly opened daffodils in the small square vase on the breakfast table. Her dad was pacing. It was the first announcement that the university had made – at least, the first that made it into national newspapers rather than specific peer-reviewed journals. It was the first announcement that the public were supposed to read. It was the flurry of excitement, the press conference, the moment of promise and change. They’d had successful births of mice, sheep, and now chimpanzees. They’d been given a licence to start preparing for human trials. They predicted the first human pouch birth would be within five years. Their company would be leading the way, their non-academic, research-led, public-facing company. Freida had told her about them already – none of this was news to Holly. They would be called FullLife.

‘You have to admit it’s a good name,’ Holly said as her father slammed the paper onto the breakfast table and sat down. That was when she noticed the daffodils. The way their beaming yellow heads rocked on their stems.

Holly watched as her mum picked up the paper in turn – she always read it second – and as she, too, learned about the baby pouch, and the potential for the first human trials. She tried to deduce her mum’s thoughts from her expressions as she read. It was hard to tell though, behind her calm face, behind the resignation, the willingness to wait in line. Holly hoped that her mum would express an opinion first.

‘Nonsense!’ cried her dad, as her mum put the paper down on the table. ‘Can you believe it?’

‘It’s hard to believe …’ her mum said.

‘It’s ridiculous.’

‘It’s not ridiculous,’ said Holly.

‘Why is this even necessary? Of all the things we could be doing!’ He laughed, shaking his head now. ‘What silly girl would sign up for something like this? It’ll be over before it’s started, Harshini.’

‘Holly,’ said Holly.

‘It does seem like rather an odd thing to want to do …’ said her mum.