In a utopian future where only 1/4th of the world's overcrowded population is fed and living comfortably, families must request permission to bear children. Monica Swinton lives with her husband Henry and her young son David, whom she struggles to bond with. She seeks help from Teddy, a robot toy companion of sorts, to try to understand why she feels unable to communicate with David, let alone feel compassion for him. David also questions Teddy about whether his mother truly loves him and wonders whether he is truly real. He attempts to write letters of his own to explain how he feels about his mother and the inner conflict he faces but all of his letters remain unfinished.