Goldilocks Forever

Chapter 45

Walton, New York

March 2043

Beau honked the horn and Toby emerged from the cabin, arching his eyebrows with suspicion as he approached.

"Nice car. That's the latest model, right?" Toby leaned in through the open door to check out the panel inside. "Is it hot?" He smirked at Beau.

"Not technically." Consent was given, although he had pulled his gun to get it. Beau frowned at the memory.

"Whose car is it?"

"A friend's." Beau struggled to lift the two bags of carry-out from the roadside diner he'd stopped at while charging the car. "Here. I brought food. Let's eat."

Toby's face lit up as he reached for the bags. "What'd you get?" He peaked into the bags and inhaled deeply. "Smells like breakfast." He huddled the bags to his chest and practically skipped back into the cabin. By the time Beau made it there, he had already set two places at the table, poured two mugs of tea, and opened the containers of food. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "Pancakes." He split the stack of pancakes between them and opened the next container. "Bacon." He shoved two crispy pieces into his mouth and sat to dig into his pancakes.

Beau shut the cabin door and took his seat at the table opposite Toby. They ate in silence for a moment.

"More syrup?" Toby looked up at him as he held the little carton aloft. His face fell. Beau waved him on and watched as he drowned the remaining bites of pancake in syrup. "You don't look so hot," Toby said between bites. "What happened to your forehead?"

"You don't know?"

"Why would I know?"

"I was in a car accident." Beau touched the stitched gash on his forehead. It stung, but nothing like the burning ache in his arm from the medical implant. "They suspended my driver's license. I shouldn't be here. I should be in the hospital right now."

Toby nodded. "Yeah, I can see that." He jerked his head toward the couch. "Go lay down. Take a load off."

Beau stared at him. "I need to know where she is."

"Trust." He speared a chunk of omelet on his fork and pointed it at him. "Remember?"

Beau took a few deep breaths. "You don't get to talk about her very often, do you?"

"No. And never to the Aging."

Beau looked away. "But you'll make an exception for the Dying."

"I told you why I'm doing this."

"I know what you said." Beau sighed. "Who do I look like?"

"You don't look like her." Toby smiled, though. "Ditching the hospital against the advice of your doctor: that's something she would do."

"I understand you don't have all the answers." He grit his teeth and then forced himself to relax his jaw. "I accept that there are things I'll never know and that there'll always be this...hole. It's okay. I know I'm lucky. Alex and Cleo were great parents." He paused, hearing his own bitter frustration. "What I really need, Toby, is a DNA sample. Once I get that, I'll go away and leave you to your secrets. I won't intrude upon your privacy and force you to risk your life by telling me things that—"

"Hey, kid, you're not forcing me to do anything. I'm doing this because I want to. I'm giving you what Alex and Cleo always wanted to, but never could."

"If I asked them, would they have told me the truth?"

"No. Their lives were at risk, too, and they knew it."

Beau nodded. "This is so fucked up."

They were silent for a moment, listening to the crackle of the fire in the woodstove, until Toby said, "You're her son. I think you have a right to know." Beau said nothing, so he added, "You're not the only one who wishes things were different. I wish I didn't have to have this conversation with you."

"But you want to tell her story."

"Yes, so that you understand why—"

"You love her."

Toby set down his fork and leaned back in his chair. "Am I that obvious?"

Now. Now, Beau thought. Now was his moment to ask the big question. It would follow, it would make sense. Doubt silenced him. What if he was wrong? He didn't want to think about that now.

But Toby heaved a sigh that once again silenced him. "It doesn't matter what I do. I can't stop." He rose from the chair and paced the room as he chewed on his fingernails. "Let's continue. Where did I leave off?"

"Anna ran off after killing Max."

"It was a real mess. I kept on hoping she'd show up again. Maybe in Las Vegas. I kept in contact with James, but he never heard from her." He gathered their plates and put them in the sink. "Without medication, she was totally at the mercy of Goldilocks." He plopped into his chair. His feet tapped against the floor. "Unmedicated." He looked at Beau. "It's a very dangerous way to be."