In the near future, Washington, D.C. becomes the battleground for a new definition of family. Widower Eric Knox, still haunted by loss, finds love again with Mara-a Lysa-9 synthetic whose wit and resolve prove she is more than manufactured. Using eggs preserved by his late wife, they risk everything to carry a child in Mara's bio-engineered womb, under the scrutiny of regulators and the glare of public opinion.

When their daughter, Mellie Knox, is born healthy, America erupts. Supporters rally under silver ribbons, while the Natural Guard network hacks trust and politicians push a "Natural Child Protection" bill. Allies gather-civil-rights lawyer Amira Haddad, disability activist Camila Reyes, reporter Naomi Park, and pastor-engineer Elijah Brooks-forming a fragile coalition.

As power outages turn their porch into a triage hub and lawmakers press for bans, Eric and Mara refuse cosmetic fixes and fight for recognition. At the Supreme Court, the question becomes unavoidable: can personhood include someone made, not born?

The verdict will shape law for generations-but the novel's truest stakes lie in bedtime feedings, first days at school, and the hard, daily work of building a living house, not a museum.

Scott Hamele is a Kansas-born author whose work spans historical fiction, modern thrillers, techno-near-future suspense, and sci-fi comedy with adult humor. A Salina native living in the Kansas City area since 1991, he writes stories rooted in family history and place. His books include Dust and Honor-The Story of Peter Cornelius; The Petticoat Butcher-The Pinkertons' Hunt for Jimmy Ward; Capone's North Road; Dustwings-Black Ops; Area 51-1/2: Cosmic Misfits; Hanna's Room-Secrets Sealed Since 1942; Vision Protocol; and The Clearborn Society. He is currently writing Rafters on the Plains-Kansas Basketball's Rise Through Segregation, a historical-fiction novel.