Goldilocks Forever

Chapter 2

Walton, New York

February 18, 2043

His body shook as he repeated the name and date in his mind until he reached the highway. At the end of the road in the forest, he put the car in park, fumbled for his tablet, and spoke into its mic. "Anastasia Guillard. May 1, 1978." His voice trembled and his teeth chattered between words.

He turned onto the highway and headed back into Walton. Several inches of whiteness covered the road, completely erasing the centerline. As he reached the town, only the tire tracks of the cars ahead guided him. He pulled into the parking area of the first hotel he passed and took a room.

Without removing his coat, he sat at the meager desk in his hotel room and began his research. Thankfully Guillard was not a very popular surname, and the name plus the date yielded one result, a birth record for an Anastasia Elizabeth Guillard, born May 1, 1978.

Beau sucked in a mouthful of air and released it in a whoosh. His heart raced and the tremor of his fingers made it difficult for him to type on the tiny holographic keys of the tablet. He stared at the hyperlink and tapped on it.

A scanned copy of a birth certificate loaded. State of New York. New York. He read further.

Name: Anastasia Elizabeth Guillard

Mother's Name: Emily Jane McBride, Place of Birth: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Age: 28

Father's Name: Thomas James Guillard, Place of Birth: New York City, New York, Age: 33

Beau copied her parents' names and information for later research.

Place: St. John Memorial Hospital, New York City, New York

He knew that hospital. He visited Carmencita's uncle there while he recovered from heart surgery several years ago. Shaking his head in awe, he also noted the time of her birth: 12:51 a.m. The form also listed the highest level of education for her mother to be college and for her father to be a doctorate. They were married and resided in Ithaca, New York. Strange that she should be born in the city, he thought. Perhaps they were visiting and her birth became an emergency. He copied the address in Ithaca and continued his reading.

Plurality (Single, Twin, Triplet, etc.) Specify:

The typed word below this read Twin.

Beau opened another search for Guillard, May 1, 1978. The results were two births—one for Anastasia—and the other for her twin sister, Acacia Gweneviere Guillard. The second birth certificate was identical to the first, except for the name and the time, 12:49 a.m.

He leaned back and allowed himself to slump as he rubbed his temples to ease the blossoming headache. This new information brought him closer than anything else. Names, a date, and two places. He imagined the happy family—Emily and Thomas Guillard, each with a newborn in their arms and smiling faces. They were likely dead now, but Acacia Guillard could still be alive. She would be sixty-five. The same age as Anastasia Guillard, the same age Toby Day should be. If he couldn't find her...

"No," he said. He rose from his chair, removed his jacket and shoes and went to the sink to splash some water on his face. He looked at his dark eyes in the mirror. Perhaps he inherited them from Thomas Guillard or Emily Guillard, from some branch on their family tree.

Feeling more refreshed, he went back to his tablet and, chastising himself, ran another search on Anastasia Guillard, this time for a death certificate or obituary. This should have been his first search. No results. Beau's shoulders wilted with relief. She was probably alive.