But she did suspect they were lying. All their perfect data, all the smiling faces in their adverts – where were the parents who felt a lack of connection to their child in the pouch? Where were the side effects? There had to be something. She needed to look further back, to find someone who had hidden the truth and been bad enough at it that the truth had been visible. One of the scientists, maybe. Not PR, not publicity – they were too good at staying on message. She wanted someone who couldn’t follow the rules quite so well. She felt something leaning on her, a pressure on her chest as she pulled out folder after folder of her mum’s notes, piling them around her in disordered stacks. She would go through everything, and somewhere in among it all she would find a name. A starting point.

She sipped her coffee, then stood up and headed to the kitchen for the radio. Unplugging it, she carried it to the piano room – her new office, she corrected – and plugged it in next to the desk. Sooner or later there would be another advert. There had to be. Because one thing she knew for sure when she woke up this morning was that if FullLife had announced a new ‘NaturalBirth’ plan, then something was going on.

Rosie rolled over and curled her body around Kaz, the way she did every morning in the half-sleep she passed through before waking. The warmth of his body and the rhythm of his breathing helped her open her eyes. She kissed the curve of his neck and rested her head against his. She loved mornings. Mornings were the best.

‘Kaz,’ she whispered.

‘Mmmmm.’

‘It’s today.’

‘I know, baby.’

She inched her head closer to his arm, which he lifted so she could lie on his chest. Her fingers touched his belly, stroked the smooth dark skin she was so fond of.

Downstairs most of the family were up already. She could smell coffee, hear the swish and churn of the bread maker. Nana still insisted that fresh bacon roti was the way to start a birthday. And was she singing? Rosie hummed along quietly to the tune. Her nana was the best, and she was going to be just like her.