She typed her name: Elena Maria Vasquez. Date of birth: 03/14/1990. Place of birth: Mercy Hospital, Austin, Texas.
Outside, Elena sat on the curb and read every line. Her parents’ names: correct. Date: correct. But at the bottom, below the registrar’s signature, someone had written a note in blue ink, the same handwriting as Dr. Finch’s: “Infant female – original surname Vasquez. Maternal grandmother’s request: record sealed per CRSTN protocol 7.” www crstn org birth certificate
“Your hands,” he said.
It was her birth certificate. Not a copy. Not a scan. The original. She could see the faint embossed seal of the State of Texas, the cursive signature of the attending physician—a Dr. Harold Finch—and in the margin, a hand-stamped notation she had never noticed before: “Imprint B – Restricted Access.” She typed her name: Elena Maria Vasquez