Stephen is a self-proclaimed accidental writer of children's books. He is also a part of a childcare committee and takes part in discussions about publishing a childcare handbook. Stephen is also divorced and the main reason for that is a loss of his daughter Kate. He lost her one day while going to supermarket. He left her out of his sight for a few seconds and when he turned around she was gone. It's been a few years since that and Stephen published a few books since, his first one with a help of Charles Darke. For his part, Darke gets involved in politics and is in the running for the prime minister.
The novel progresses with Stephen trying to find ways to cope with the loss of his child, his conversations with his parents about their past and visits to his friends Thelma and Charles. Charles, in the meantime, decided to leave politics to live in seclusion as a child.
Stephen, persuaded by Thelma, visits his wife Julie, and they remember the old times for a bit, but find themselves unable to fully get back together.
The current Prime Minister has private interest in Charles and tries to persuade Stephen to convince Charles to come out if his seclusion. One night, Stephen gets a phone call from Thelma urging him to come to their house. When he arrives there, he discovers that Charles killed himself. He helps Thelma with the body, and she suddenly gets a phone call. It's Stephen's ex-wife Julie, and she wants him to visit her immediately.
When he arrives to Julie's place he finds her in labor, she got pregnant from their brief reunion, but didn't want to tell him because she was not ready for them to get back together. They deliver the baby together before the midwife arrives. They both accepted their fate, and see this baby as a new chance in life.
