Ashtyn stood at the back entrance of The Andromeda, which was one of the many entertainment spots in Perth. Set in a two-storey building, The Andromeda was a family business that had the humble beginnings of a little restaurant that struggled in Brisbane. Ten years ago, Lucio Cavas Blanco, decided to sell the restaurant and move to Perth to start afresh with his wife and three teenaged children. He bought the run-down building and started renovating it little by little. He had the first floor as the restaurant and used the second floor as their living quarters. His wife, being a qualified chef, was responsible for the wonderful menu; his fifteen year old daughter, Sonia and one of his two sons, Simon, aged nineteen, helped her out in the kitchen. His other son, eighteen year George and he attended to the customers. From there, the rest was history.

With the success of the restaurant, he managed to buy a house for his family. When they moved out of the building's second floor, they closed the business temporarily to give way for major renovations. The floor where he and his family used to dwell served as the main bar and restaurant. There were seven large bedrooms when they lived in building. Instead of knocking down the walls, they decided to convert them into private karaoke rooms-each was uniquely designed and could accommodate up to thirty people. They built another eight rooms that were much larger, which was designed to serve as function rooms with karaoke facilities. The bottom floor had another bar and lounge that was set up for live performances.

The lounge was the best area of The Andromeda. The reddish tinge of the rosewood tables and chairs that stood in the middle of the room complemented the brass lights that were hanging down from the high ceilings. On each side had booths—furnished with red leather modular suites for clients who wanted comfort, a sense of privacy while watching live performances, luxury and first class treatment.

When The Andromeda reopened, the front entrance was manned by at least two guards, dressed in all black. Anyone not meeting the dress code cannot even touch the doors. By dress code, they meant smart casual or business during the weekdays and lounge suit, cocktail on the weekends. Other than making sure that patrons were dressed to impress, they also had to go through a metal detector before they could go through the heavy double doors that led to the main lobby. That alone made people curious and talking. What was behind those doors that made it so special? The only way to find out was to get the guards' approval to get in.

The main lobby had a big marble receptionist desk. Patrons didn't need to make reservations, however, if they wanted to make sure they had a table, it would be wise to make one. The lobby's purpose was not only to welcome the guests, but it also serve as a museum of The Andromeda's history. The walls around the lobby supported the weight of the frames that mounted paintings, photographs and news clippings. Down lights shone on the glass cabinets that showcased the family's treasures. The business was still young then so there was more room to accommodate the future on its walls.

Ashtyn finally pulled the back door open and got out of the chilly spring afternoon and into the short narrow hallway that had a smorgasbord of scents lingering in the air. She could smell a hint of nicotine, floral-scented perfumes and food cooking in the kitchen. She opened another door that was at the other end of the hallway.

"Good afternoon, señorita!" waved Simon, Lucio's eldest son, from behind the dough he was kneading. He was twenty-nine at that time and became The Andromeda's pastry chef. With light brown hair and blue eyes, he was quite adorable. With a pudgy built and a great sense of humour, he was like a cuddly big brother to her. "How was the party last night?"

Her eyes lit up suddenly. "It was awesome!"

"Did you catch the bouquet?" Sonia, who was twenty-five, asked while she skilfully chopped the vegetables.

Taking off her coat, she shook her head. "Nah. I kind of left before that part."

"But that's the best part, Ash," she protested. Sonia was a very beautiful woman with a very big heart. Although she was only six years older, she acted as if she was her mother. 

"Isn't the bouquet-catching the women's favourite part of the wedding?" Simon asked.

Ashtyn shrugged. "It looks fun but-" She shook her head from side to side as if trying to weigh her answer, "It was getting rather late."

Sonia stopped chopping and laid the knife on the bench. "Let me guess, no cute boys at the party? All boring and snotty people?" Ashtyn's green eyes lit up. "Ahhh! There is someone!" She strode towards the young lady, eager to hear all the juicy information.

Ashtyn shook her head vigorously. Before she knew it, she had Simon and Sonia right in front of her. She put her hands in front of her and waved them. "Oh! No, no, no! You've got it all wrong," she said defensively. Yet, at the back of her mind, she could see his dazzling eyes staring at her. She couldn't help but imagine the muscles that rippled underneath his suit. Who was she kidding? These people were almost as close as a real family to her. They've known her since she was twelve. They knew every joy and heartache she had. Like a defeated prey, she let out a heavy sigh. "The security guard was so cute," she admitted. She could feel their interrogating stare piercing her. "Okay, I lied. He's really handsome!" She nearly swooned just trying to remember his face. "You should have seen him!" Gesturing with her hands, "He's like this tall....He had a beard that surrounded his yummy lips-" her voice trailed off.

"What's his name?" Sonia shook her in excitement.

Ashtyn's face fell. "I have no idea," she said softly. She saw the look of frustration in their faces. "I know! It's pathetic." She paused. She felt a pang of regret. She should have been brave enough to ask for his name. Stupid man! He should have worn a name badge! "Besides, a man like that wouldn't be interested in me! He probably has supermodels with legs as long as a mile lined up for his attention."

With hands on her round hips, Sonia looked at her in shock. "And why won't he be interested in you?" She pushed Ashtyn to face her reflection on the shiny doors of the silver refrigerator. "¿Por que? Look at you," she ordered. "¡Eres muy hermosa!"

Ashtyn had an incredibly sweet and innocent look on her oval face. In fact, the girl had an angelic face. She had cute little dimples that appeared near each corner of her pink lips when she smiled. Thick, long lashes and perfectly shaped eyebrows framed her big, green eyes. They were so striking that it was so easy to keep staring into them. She had her waist-length dark brown hair twisted under a shark clip all the time but the shorter strands of her layered style would fall to her chin, nicely contrasting against her creamy, white, porcelain skin. She had that natural pinkish glow that made her look so fresh all the time. She had a small fine nose and high cheekbones, which many women would envy.

"Sweetheart, you can have any man you want!" Sonia reassured her.

"Yeah, you have to work it, baby!" Simon agreed over her shoulder. "Don't worry, there'll be other guys out there. You're still young."

There was a longing look on her face, "But he was such a great-looking man!" she sighed passionately.

"Great-looking enough to make your panties fall?" blurted George as he poked his head from behind.

The girls' jaws fell open. "George, you're disgusting!" laughed Sonia.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Simon walked back to his workbench and continued to knead his dough. "You, mi hermano," he scolded, "are an idiot!" 

With an innocent look on his face, "What did I do?" Simon rolled his eyes at him then bowed his head to his dough with a smirk on his face. George turned to Ashtyn and gave her a hug. "Hello, angel!"

Of all three siblings, George was her favourite. He was just a year younger than Simon, nine years older than she was. But in spite of the age gap, he was her best friend. "Hiya!" she hugged him back

He gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Let me make a quick phone call and we'll rehearse in fifteen minutes, yeah?" he said in a hurry, heading for back door. He had half of his body through the doors when he stopped and pointed at her. "I want to hear more about this man you're swooning over!" he demanded.

"There's nothing much to hear about, Georgeous!" Ashtyn yelled before he completely disappeared through the door, calling him by the nickname she had coined for him since was indeed a gorgeous man.

George was very attractive. Standing two inches over six feet, he had a strong muscular built. Behind his generous smile was a set of perfect teeth. He was the only one who took after their mother's sandy blonde hair and green eyes. Whenever he walked around The Andromeda, women would follow him with their gaze. When he used to wait on tables, there was never a night where a woman, or even a man, would try to pick him up. Any customer who was really into him would leave him a ridiculously large tip and a phone number. George stopped waiting on tables not long after the business reopened. Not because he wanted to steer clear from the people who wanted a piece of him, but because he was a musician. After obtaining his degree in music, it was his idea to have live performances. With him on the piano and his friends on the other instruments, it was the perfect opportunity for them to showcase their musical talents. All they needed was someone who can sing-and before Ashtyn took the stage, they had her sister, Hayley.

Growing up, she and Hayley weren't really that close. Hayley had her own set of friends and Ashtyn was more of a bookworm and socialised with a few kids school from time to time. She was an introvert. On top of that, Hayley was nine years older than she was. The huge age difference created quite a generation gap between them. They had nothing in common except their love for music, which they got from their mother who was a trained opera singer.

Every night, they would gather around the piano and sing songs together for fun. Being the older one, Hayley was given more than just jamming sessions. Her mother gave her voice lessons, taught her how to read notes and to sight sing. She let her sing at talent shows and at the local church to show off her talent.

Hayley moved out of the house the moment she hit eighteen, which didn't bother Ashtyn. After all, even though they lived under one roof, they seemed to have separate lives anyway. As for her mother, she was disappointed but accepted that it was part of life that her eldest daughter would want a life of her own. 

Hayley moved into a one-bedroom flat about forty-five minutes south of the city. The rent was cheap. The neighbourhood was all right but she wouldn't want to live there forever. Her plan was to finish her studies to be a teacher. At that time, she was looking for a job that would suit her schedule for the next term. She met George through a girl friend who shared a class with him. Her friend had an assignment and had asked Hayley to sing one of her compositions while she played the guitar. After impressing the whole class, George approached her and invited her to some jamming sessions. It was as if fate had brought them together. She needed a job that will allow her to manage her study load and George needed a singer when The Andromeda reopened.

With the independence and freedom she enjoyed, she knew that she could take on anything. She took dance classes to improve how she moved on stage when she sang and to be able to engage the customers on the dance floor. When The Andromeda started attracting foreign businessmen, majority were from Japan, she decided to add Japanese lessons to her extra-curricular activities. She thought that when she finished with school, she would consider teaching music and dance along with the other subjects required by the schools. If she became fluent enough, she might be able to teach Japanese as well.  She might even go to Tokyo to teach English at the Japanese schools. The possibilities were endless and nothing was going to stop her. So she thought.

Over four months after Ashtyn's twelfth birthday, they lost their mother to breast cancer. It was devastating for both of them but Hayley didn't dare to fathom how heartbreaking it was for her little sister. While she watched her sister sit at the front pew, bravely accepting condolences, she knew that both their lives were going to change dramatically. For one, Ashtyn will be a major part of her life now and it will include a lot of sacrifices for her. 

The first few months of being Ashtyn's guardian were difficult. She really didn't have much experience in being responsible for someone else other than herself. Luckily, Ashtyn was confident and old enough to go to school on her own. The problem was the afternoons. She didn't want to leave Ashtyn all alone, especially in the evening. There was no way that she was going to waste money on a babysitter. Then it hit her. Instead of paying a babysitter, she would just use the money for Ashtyn to join her dance classes. At least this would be more beneficial, she thought. On other days, she would take Ashtyn with her to her Japanese classes and the teacher would allow her to sit at the spare desks in the corner while she did her homework. On the nights that she worked at The Andromeda, Ashtyn would watched her rehearse or do her homework at the office. Lucio was kind enough set up a television so she can keep herself entertained. And when she was tired, the office had a comfortable sofa where she could rest.

Later on, Hayley got her teaching qualifications and started working at one of the nearby schools, while still doing her singing stint. She wanted to invest the extra money she was earning to harness Ashtyn's talent. She encouraged her sister to join the more advanced dancing classes. She was quick to pick up the steps. She was light and graceful. The instructor couldn't get his eyes off her.

"Your sister is a natural! You might want to consider letting her do ballroom dancing. She will look so beautiful! If she trains hard enough, she has the potential to compete!"

Hayley agreed with his suggestion. Although, she left the idea about possibly competing for her sister to decide. She was a shy girl. She loved to dance, but she was not a performer.

One day, Hayley woke up and was about to go to the bathroom. She heard the shower going. "Are you going to be long?" she asked through the door. She didn't get an answer. She was about to knock when her hand stopped in midair upon hearing her sister singing. She leaned against the door to listen more closely. Ashtyn's voice was soothing. She couldn't help but gasp in total shock upon realising that she was singing in Japanese.  The song originally had an upbeat tempo, yet her sister sang it slow and mellow. It was like listening to a lullaby. The emotions were genuine. She knew that Ashtyn wasn't just singing the words from the CDs that were played over and over, but she understood them. Why wouldn't she? She made her sit in her classes after all!  Being young, with a brain like a sponge, she would somehow pick up on the lessons. Hayley broke into a smile. "Oh my god!" she exhaled in awe. Every note that echoed behind that door touched her heart. The water stopped running and all she could hear now was the purity of her voice. She hit the high notes without any effort. "My god!" she gasped again, overwhelmed by the young girl's talent. She pressed her ears harder against the door, savouring the last lines of the song.

Ashtyn came out of the bathroom and found her sister standing outside. Unsure if she was about to laugh or cry, "Are you all right?" she asked with her eyebrows arched. Hayley continued to give her an incredulous stare. "Uhh...You're kinda freaking me out."

"Kono uta wo utatte kudasai," she requested. There was a long pause between them. Maybe she didn't understand her. She shrugged and was about to walk away when Ashtyn started singing the song again. She did understand! "You're unbelievable!" she whispered under her breath.

The very next day, Hayley officially enrolled Ashtyn for Japanese lessons so she can develop it as a second language. Bestowed with a fantastic voice, she also enrolled her into singing lessons. She made sure that she was taught to sight read and sing the notes, just the way their mother taught her. She even encouraged her to attend a finishing course for young women so she could learn social etiquette, grooming, body language and communication. Everyone thought that she was grooming the young lass to be like her but she just wanted her to excel. She may not be a performer. But she knew that Ashtyn's talents would help boost her confidence. Get her out of her shell. Give her something to be proud of.

Times were hard, but with good planning and good friends, Hayley got by in raising her beautiful sister. She stopped singing at The Andromeda when she accepted a teaching job at a private school and the same time, Ashtyn was going to start college soon and she couldn't be more swollen with pride. She suggested for Ashtyn to take a course, even if it was just to qualify for a teacher's assistant. They could give kids music and dance lessons, even teach basic Japanese. But Ashtyn didn't see herself as a teacher. She decided to do Media and Communications. Just like Hayley, Ashtyn was very good with planning; in fact she was better at it. She had everything sorted out. She calculated the maximum subjects she could take so she could complete the course quicker. She has already done research on the potential companies she could work for and was already preparing on how to get her foot in the door of the industry.

Hayley smiled to herself. She has indeed raised her well and it was time to stop worrying about her.

In the middle of that school year, Ashtyn lost Hayley to a heart attack. The loss was so sudden. There were no warnings. The doctors have suggested that Hayley must have been feeling the symptoms a long time ago, but just didn't recognise them. If she knew what they were, she didn't say anything. With that comment, Ashtyn wasn't surprised. Hayley was that type of person. She was strong. She most probably ignored her chest pains as nothing and went on with life the way she wanted it. 

She stared blankly out of the doctor's office window. Her mind was in turmoil, wondering, What now? Her heart was filled with sorrow. She wanted to cry but couldn't bring herself to do so. What now?

George was with her. They both just lost their best friend, but for young Ashtyn, he had to be stronger. He took her home that afternoon. The silence from her worried him. "Ashtyn, do you want to come home with me, instead? You'll have company. I'll call Mama now and ask her to prepare some dinner. You must be hungry."

"No, thank you." Her voice was weak as if all the energy has been drained out of her. "Please, I just want to be alone tonight," she pleaded.

He gave Ashtyn a hug. "You have to rest. I will ask Sonia to drop by later to bring some food," he told her, sounding like there are no other options.

"I'm not hungry."

"Please don't argue," he pleaded. "Today, you rest. Simon and I will do the run around. We'll organise the funeral." He took his personal mobile phone from his pocket and gave it to her. She refused to take it. "Just in case."  He knew that she had her own mobile, but his was not on a prepaid plan. "You can make as many phone calls as you want. All our phone numbers are in there." He watched Ashtyn stare at the phone. It broke his heart just looking at her.

She scrolled down his list of contacts and stopped at Hayley's name. Without thinking she dialled the number. The phone just kept ringing but she held on, waiting for her to answer, even though she knew that she wouldn't pick up the call. How could she?

"Hi there!" the voicemail message greeted. "This is Hayley. I can't answer the phone right now so you can either leave me a voice message or send me a text." She sounded so alive. "And I'll get back to you." A long beep followed.

Ashtyn took a deep breath as if trying to keep all her emotions inside. "Hi, Hayley!" She forced herself to sound cheerful and continued to hold her emotions in...and she kept holding it...and holding it in...Until she couldn't contain herself any longer. She buried her face in her hands and broke into tears. "Please call me back! Please, please, please call me back! Tell me you're coming home!"

*********

Ashtyn hadn't left the apartment since the funeral. It has been over two weeks since she went out. She didn't know how she was going to move on. She looked around the apartment they used to share. The silence was driving her mad. She turned the radio on and put the volume up to maximum. The noise gave her a headache but she'd rather have that than listen to her own breathing, which she wished had stopped the same day Hayley was taken from her.

She walked towards the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. A pile of takeaway containers greeted her. There was so much food, courtesy of George's family, but she didn't have the strength or the appetite to eat. She was very well aware that her weight had dropped dramatically. She heard it all the time from George and Sonia when they came over to visit. It was also noticeable when she wore her favourite white jeans that used to fit her shapely legs like a glove. When she looked at herself in the mirror she saw how loose and baggy they were.

She tried to convince herself to eat but just thinking about the chore of having to open a container and shove a mouthful of food made her tired. She just wanted to crawl back into bed and drown herself in her grief. She closed the refrigerator door and found herself staring at pages of bills stuck on the door with magnets. It was up to her now to pay the bills. Electricity and water were both due by the end of the month and the rent will be due within a fortnight's time. She had some money saved in the bank and some that Hayley had left—that would cover those bills. But she still had school fees to worry about. Thinking about the dollar signs, the numbers and decimal points made her feel dizzy. She quickly pulled out a chair and rested her head on the dining table. The savings alone won't be able to sustain her. She had to work-and that was an obvious fact. She felt her stomach churn with the sudden thought that she will have to leave school to work. She had to work full-time to make ends meet. The only way for her to be able to complete her studies was for her to defer for now until she has saved enough to continue. The solution seemed so simple but she couldn't even motivate herself to eat, what more to go out and get the paper to find a job? At that moment, she wished that she had Hayley's strength to help her cope with her sadness. She felt her chest tighten and found that she was crying all over again.

It took Ashtyn an immense deal of effort to get herself out of her pyjamas and finally into a pair of black slacks and a light pink blouse. She put on some make-up to try to hide her pain. It was a beautiful day in winter. The skies were blue and the sun shone on her for the first time in three weeks of being a recluse.

She sat alone at the bus stop, looking back at the apartment building and all she wanted to do was run back in. She was about to convince herself to go walk back home when she heard the squeaking sound of the bus stopping. The doors opened and her feet hesitated to move forward.

"Are you taking this bus, lady?" the driver bellowed.

She took a deep breath. "Yes."

Ashtyn strolled aimlessly around the city that day. She attended four job interviews that day and handed copies of her resume around, hoping that someone would hire her on the spot. It disheartened her every time she heard, "We're still interviewing a few more candidates." Or, "We're not looking for anyone at the moment but we'll keep your resume on file." She was almost close to tears when the consultant from a recruitment agency told her, "Your resume looks impressive but you don't have enough work experience in this area." She sat on a nearby bench just across a juice bar. She watched the bar's staff as they worked. I can do that. Then she heard, your resume looks impressive but you don't have enough work experience in this area, play at the back of her mind. At that time, she wished that she should have spent her free time getting a part-time job a the supermarket or fast-food joint to gain some experience, instead of attending dance classes, singing classes, Japanese classes and a whole lot of other classes to teach her about personal presentation and social grace. Then it hit her. "Of course!" she exclaimed under her breath as she picked up her bag and headed towards the bus stop.

She reached The Andromeda building in less than half an hour. Her heart was pumping. She anxiously pulled on the large doors of the back entrance and was nearly running through the halls that led to the kitchen.

"Ashtyn!" Sonia's gasp greeted her.

Lucio was close to tears upon seeing the young lady. "¡Madre de Dios! How are you, my dear?" He gave her a hug. "Thank God! You've finally come out." He looked her over from head to toe. "Look how thin you've become!" He hugged her again. "I know these are hard times, but even in hard times, you still have to look after yourself." He called to his wife, Elena. "Elena, get Ashtyn something to eat, por favor!"

Simon came over and gave her a hug as well. "George will be so happy to know that you've finally came out." Just as he finished his sentence the service doors swung open, George walked in.

"How are you holding up, angel?" George asked with concern. Even though they checked on her nearly everyday since Hayley left, it still seemed as if she was gone for a long time. "You finally left the apartment."

"We are so glad you dropped by," Lucio beamed at her.

Sonia patted her on the shoulder. "Stay awhile," she suggested. "I'm finishing early today. If you want we can hang out and do some stuff."

The rest of the family agreed. Ashtyn's spirit lifted a bit. She was so lucky to have people like them. "Thank you, but-"

Elena gestured for her to sit down at the end of the workbench as she laid down a plate of paella. "So, tell us, what have you been doing today."

Ashtyn took out a copy of her resume. She could feel as if a lump was stuck in her throat. "Actually, I've been looking for work." She felt her fingers tremble as she handed Lucio the papers. "I-I was hoping that you could help me," she stammered. The room fell silent. "I can work here at the kitchen or deal with the customers." They all gave her a stunned look. She swallowed hard. Deep inside she was praying that they wouldn't disappoint her by saying they couldn't hire her because she didn't have experience. "I'm a fast learner," she added quickly.

"But what about uni?" George finally broke the silence.

Ashtyn's head dropped. "School will have to wait." She gave out a big sigh as she dropped her resume on the floor. "I have to take over the household now."

Sonia held Ashtyn's hand. "Oh, sweetheart! You don't have to! We're here for you. Anything you need, just ask!"

"We're like a family. You can live with us," Simon told her. "You don't have to worry about the bills. There's plenty of room in our home for you!"

"I will put you through to school!" Lucio declared. "You are like a daughter to me! You are young. You have just lost someone you love. Sacrificing your studies to earn money just to be able to pay the bills shouldn't be a part of your burden. We will take care of you."

"Besides," George added softly as he gently stroked her hair, "Hayley would have wanted you to finish uni. That was the plan."

Ashtyn's tears rolled down her cheeks. "But she would have wanted for me to be able to stand on my own two feet. This is what I have to do. Hayley had to make sacrifices as well to look after me. It's time for me to look after myself."

Sonia couldn't stop herself from crying. "Ashtyn, you're still young. You don't have to-"

"Please, I need a job," Ashtyn begged. "I know it might be hard to understand, but I promise, I'll make it work." She took a deep breath. "I will still finish school but it might take a bit longer. Please, just give me a go. I'll do anything."

Everyone looked at Lucio. It was his decision now. He had a big problem in his hands. He wiped the sweat that was building up on his forehead. Looking at Ashtyn, he couldn't help but admire the strength of her heart. Her sister would have been proud. You have raised her well!

"Well, Papa, what do you think?" Simon asked. "Can she work here?"

Lucio gave out a big sigh. He didn't have the courage to look at Ashtyn in the eye. "I'm afraid that we're fully staffed."

Ashtyn's heart plummeted. Another rejection. Suddenly, she wondered if Hayley had it this hard when she started to be on her own. She closed her eyes tight, fighting to hold back any more tears from falling down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, Ashtyn, I just can't accommodate you as we're just fully staffed." He could see the disappointment in her sad, green eyes. "But we'll help you," he promised. "I will call my friends. For sure one of them will give you a job."

She could hear them all taking at the same time. Suggesting. Advising. Promising. She knew that all the intentions were good but with her thoughts in a turmoil, all she could hear was an echo of noise. She felt like she was ready to faint. She needed Hayley. She reached for the phone that George loaned her from out of her pocket and stared at it blankly. As if she were in a trance, her thumb moved to press on the green button to access her recently dialled numbers. She stared at the long list that bore only her sister's name. How many times has she tried to call her, knowing that she would never answer her phone. She lifted her eyes to Lucio.  "Have you replaced Hayley?" 

Lucio was taken aback by the question. "What?"

"Have you replaced Hayley?" 

Lucio didn't know how to answer that. Unsure of what exactly she meant. "Hayley will always be in our hearts. We can never replace her—"

"Can I have her job then?" Everyone's jaws dropped open. She could clearly see the shock and doubt in their eyes. "Please? I'll audition, if you want."

They knew that Ashtyn could sing...But to perform in front of a room full of people? She was a shy girl. It took a lot of pushing to get her up to sing karaoke in front of her peers, how was she going to pull off something like this? Another problem was that she was only seventeen. They couldn't possibly hire her as the lounge singer. "Ashtyn," Lucio said at last. "There are other jobs-"

"Be here tomorrow afternoon," George cut him off. "Bring your music."

"George!" Elena gasped. "Do you-"

George held up his hand to his mother, asking for her silence. "The band usually starts rehearsing at one, but be here at two. We'll be fully set up by then."

Ashtyn's eyes lit up. She threw her arms around George. "Thank you!" Her tears gushed from her eyes. She gathered her things hurriedly as she headed for the door. "You won't be disappointed, I promise."

As soon as Ashtyn disappeared through the doors, they all turned to George. "What are you trying to do?" Simon confronted him. "Are you setting her up to fail or something?"

"She's underage, George! We cannot have an underaged person work in a fully-licensed restaurant! What's wrong with you?" Sonia was close to hitting her brother.

Elena sat down. She looked very worried. "The audience will eat her alive!" She looked up at her husband. "Call her, Lucio! Tell her George made a mistake. For sure we can find something for her to do in the kitchen!"

"She hasn't passed the auditions yet," George reminded them. "She has less than twenty-four hours to prepare. I'll be surprised if she manages to step up on stage. I doubt if she'll even be able to sing in front of us."

They were all surprised when Ashtyn showed up early the following day. When she entered the lounge, George and his band were in the middle of rehearsing. George was intently running his fingers across the keys of the grand piano. The drummer and guitarists stopped playing the moment they saw her walking towards the stage. The saxophonist's mouth fell open when she stopped in front of him. The bass player dropped off next. George lifted his head up, looking disconcerted. "Why did you stop?" With a perplexed look all over his face, he followed their gaze and he nearly fell off the bench when he saw Ashtyn standing before them. She wore a little make-up, enough to give her a bit of colour so she didn't look pale underneath the stage lights. She wore a simple pink dress that wrapped around the curves of her waist. Her square neckline sat just a little below her collarbone. The skirt of her dress was as few inches above her knees, revealing a pair of attractive legs. She freed her dark brown hair from the shark clips and let if fall down to her waist. She was absolutely stunning! 

George looked towards the back room and saw his family clustered near the bar. They were just as astonished as he was. Seeing Ashtyn looking the way she did gave their system an intense jolt. He found it hard to speak. He couldn't believe that no one has really taken noticed how graceful and exquisite she was. It was so easy to take her for granted because they have actually watched her grow. She was like a flower whose loveliness has been regarded as ordinary because they have been accustomed to its presence. If they hadn't stopped to take notice of this flower, they would have never become aware of her fragrance, how delicate she was and how strong her silky petals could withstand the cruel gust of wind. She came closer to the stage. Looking at her now, she was definitely not that kid lagging behind her big sister anymore. Every step she took was dramatic and regal. 

"Here's what I brought for my audition," she finally broke the room's silence as she handed him her sheet music.

George took the sheet music from her hand. Still finding it hard to speak. He finally managed to get his eyes off her.  He quickly glanced at everyone else in the room. They all looked anxious. He watched Ashtyn reach for the microphone and stand next to the piano. The way she held his eyes with hers, it was almost as if she had this control.

"I'm ready," she said.

She was in control. He was amazed with the sudden confidence. It was almost cocky. Who was this lady in front of him? What happened to her overnight? He read the sheet music. "For Once In My Life," he read. 

"It was one of Hayley's favourites," she smiled.

George felt like he had a lump stuck in his throat. It was indeed Hayley's favourite song. In fact, she loved it so much that it was her finale song every time she performed. What made it even more special was that she sang it for Ashtyn. It was all about Ashtyn. He remained silent as he positioned the sheet music in front of him. He was about to play the first note when he felt Ashtyn's hand on his shoulder.

"If you could play it at half tempo-" she paused for a moment. "She liked it that way," she smiled. 

The request stunned him. Hayley always performed the song in an upbeat rhythm. "Whatever you say." He watched Ashtyn set herself up to the microphone. He still had huge doubts about her. Inasmuch as he would like her to do well in everything she set her heart on, a great part of him wanted her to fail this one. Back out, Ash, he prayed in his mind. No one thought that singing at the lounge was for her. He wanted to protect her. He remembered how Hayley had to deal with the occasional hecklers, the drunken men or the simply perverted that tried to pick her up. But Hayley had the street-smart attitude. Hayley had the attitude that would put a troublemaker in her or his place. Ashtyn was no Hayley. Yes, even though she was smarter, more beautiful and can be more headstrong than her older sister if she really wanted something, she was still the young girl whom everyone wanted to protect.

Ashtyn finally gave George the nod to begin. She saw a touch of disappointment in his face. The moment she asked about Hayley's job, it was clear to her that they didn't want her to have it. She took a deep breath when George started playing the notes. She looked at everyone in the eye as if warning them, I'm going to prove you wrong. She turned back to George and gave him a sly smile. You are going to give me this job. Ashtyn moved the microphone closer to her lips and sang the song slowly, like a ballad.

George held his breath as her voice exploded through the speakers. The mellow sound that came out of her vocal chords gave him goosebumps. He has never heard her sing this way before, or he just never noticed it? What had changed? He glanced towards his family's direction and everyone appeared to be as gobsmacked as he was. He felt his fingers tremble as Ashtyn lulled each key. The notes that Hayley would usually have to belt out to reach just cruised out of Ashtyn's lips without any effort. He could tell that she had a wide vocal range and good singing technique. She was a better singer than Hayley was. My god! Hayley, did you know how fantastic your sister is? He smiled widely. He could imagine Hayley answering him back, Of course I did! Why do you think I sent her to all these lessons? Ashtyn was close to the last stanza of the song. At that point, he stopped playing to listen to her. Just her.

Ashtyn breathed the last note of her song out. The room fell silent. She studied each face that stared at her. They all looked dazed and she wasn't too sure if that was a good thing. "Well?"

"Ashtyn, that was beautiful!" George could still feel himself trembling. "You're beautiful!" He got up from behind the piano and threw his arms around her. "Hayley would be so proud!"

It was a relief to hear that from George. "Does that mean I get the job?" 

George could no longer fight back his tears. "The job is yours, angel. It's all yours." Then his face went serious. "But we have to wait 'til you turn eighteen."

Ashtyn's face fell. "What?"

"But that won't be long!" He tapped her nose with his finger. "We'll be rehearsing and planning a nice party while we wait." George smiled at her, but deep inside, he was hurting. He knew what had changed. Her performance wasn't for them. She was singing for Hayley.