There was a bridge.  The Manhattan Bridge.  A young girl stood near the shore.  Her eyes closed and her breathing subdued.  The light breeze played with her long golden-brown hair.  Everyone knew her name.  She was Ashlyn.  The most well known dreamer and pioneer in the kitchen. Her journey began like this.
Ashlyn Upton was a normal girl walking along the shore of the East River in December.  The smell of fish wafted through the air.  Fresh snow blanketed the sidewalk.  A parka tightly hugged Ashlyn’s frame.  A man smoking a pipe sat on a bench only a couple of meters away from her. Ashlyn noticed that he was holding something.  She wondered what it was,  so she walked towards him and glanced at his hands.  They were gnarled and bony and  held a colorful brochure.  Ashlyn wondered what this brochure was about, but the man spoke before she could.  With a  gentle voice filled with warmth he said,
“ Would you like to see it? “  He held out the brochure out for the eighteen-year old to observe.  Ashlyn greeted him and peeked at the brochure.  It was for a cooking competition. How did he know?  Ashlyn looked at the man.  He didn’t look like a chef.  The man’s face broke into a sheepish grin.
“Wondering why I have this?” he said looking down at the brochure, “Well I’ll tell you why.  I picked it up and was wondering if I could enter, but I know nothing about food so I was saving it to give to someone who can make good use of it.  I want you to have it,” the man continued, “ I see that you will do something great with your life if I give you this.”  Ashlyn gratefully took the brochure and walked home. 
A gloomy place welcomed her.  The shutters were falling off and the paint was peeling.  The front steps creaked as she walked up towards the door.  Sighing she said,
“ Shesh! When will mom pay for renovating this shack.”  Opening the front door she yelled into the empty house,
“ Hey! Mom! You there?  I need to talk to you.”  Greeted with silence she walked towards her mom’s room.  Her mom wasn’t there.  A trophy of her mom’s past stood proudly on the almost empty shelf.  It read ‘ Winner of Seasonal Cooking Competition, Eve Reyes’.  Her mom’s name sewed into her decorated uniform and a picture of her in it.  The picture of her mother’s warm smile and cheerful eyes made Ashlyn sad.  Those days were gone.  When her dad passed away when Ashlyn was five, her world turned upside down.  Ashlyn snapped back to the present and started to panick.  Her mom was supposed to be home by now.  Ashlyn ran through the scenarios that could have happened.  She assumed that her mother was working over time.  She plopped down into an old couch with stuffing coming out of it and tried to relax.  
“Beep beep,”  the clock chimed.  Ashlyn awoke, only to find only that her mom hadn’t come home and it was half past nine.  Ashlyn picked up the brochure she got earlier and scanned it.  The front page said, ‘Only the Best’.  Flipping the pages she saw the rules, and the categories.  The rules were simple:
-Submit your recipe a week before the competition. 
-Cook in front of us
Now the reward in grand gold letters read, ’Winners will go to the finest culinary school in France, Le Cordon Bleu.’ Her dream was to go to France and try the food and learn new skills that schools here couldn’t teach.
Ashlyn sank into the couch and sighed.  She had to ask her mom if she could enter.  She loved to cook even though her mom didn’t support the idea due to her failure in the job.  The phone rang.  Ashlyn hopped up into the air.  She walked over to the phone.
“Hello?  Who is this?” she asked.
“Is this Ashlyn Upton?” Spoke the other side.
“Yes that’s me.  Why do you ask?” Ashlyn wondered.
“We have some unfortunate news.  Your mother Eve Reyes was hit by a drunk driver at approximately 8:00 PM. “  The news hit her hard.  ‘Is that why she was late?’ she questioned in her mind. 
“Where is she now? “ she said, choking on the words.
“She is in the ICU,”  replied the person.  Ashlyn freaked out.  She had never been in the ICU before. And she was thankful for it.
“When does visiting hours close?”  Ashlyn said grabbing her bag and parka and dashed back to the phone. 
“Sorry but we have closed already.  We apologize for any inconvenience. The visiting hours are 8 AM to 8 PM.  Have a nice day.”  When hearing this, Ashlyn froze and dropped all her stuff.  Have a nice day.  Seriously?  These people have no heart.  After your only parent gets hit by a car you tell them to ‘Have a nice day ‘.  Ashlyn sank back into the couch and sobbed.  She missed her mom.  Even though it was only five hours since she last saw her mother, the house was too quiet for Ashlyn. 
Her back to the wall, Ashlyn moved towards her room.  In the hallway she collapsed.  The tears she hid streamed down her face.  Her energy was depleted.  Picking herself up, she limped over to her room.  Plopping onto her bed she curled up into a ball and cried herself to sleep. 
The next morning, Ashlyn discovered dark bags under her eyes.   Ashlyn grabbed a piece of bread and changed into a pair of sweats and warm boots.  She grabbed her jacket and tied her hair back.  She was going to visit her mom.  Just as she stepped out of the door a neighbor walked up to her and smiled.
“Hey Ashlyn.  Where is Eve?” the preppy neighbor asked.  Ashlyn replied gloomily,
“My mom got hit by a car yesterday.” Ashlyn fought back tears and the neighbor’s smile quickly retreated.  There was a moment of silence.  Ashlyn racked up her brain for the neighbor’s name.
“Ask me for anything.  Really dear.  I am here for you,” the neighbor smiled as she broke the silence and gave Ashlyn a quick hug. 
“I’m okay Mrs. Raxi.  I’m okay.” With this sentence she burst into tears.  Mrs. Raxi gave Ashlyn a concerned look then said with a tone that was kind but firm,
“No you are not.  Ashlyn, you are a strong girl, but everyone breaks sometimes.  You have no one to turn to.  You took your dad’s death this way too, but that time you had your mom.  Come to my house tonight.  I have a surprise for you.”  Mrs. Raxi winked at her and red bob walked away.  Snow started to fall.  She realized what day it was. Christmas Eve. She and her mother used to make a joke out of it because her name was the same as the holiday, but her mom was still in the hospital.  Ashlyn walked to the lobby and sat down.  A nurse appeared and asked her a couple of questions like ‘Who are you here to see?’ and ‘In what division is this person?’.  The nurse walked away.  Ashlyn wondered why they had to ask these questions.  She vocalized her questions to the nurse when she came back with the information on Eve Reyes.  She scanned the file and looked up at Ashlyn. 
“Are you Ashlyn Upton?” she questioned.
“Yes,” Ashlyn whispered.
“Well, I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want first?” the nurse asked.  Ashlyn could really have used good news so she responded,
“Good news please.”
“Ohkay.   Eve is no longer in the ICU.”  Ashlyn’s eyes glistened.
“But…” Ashlyn dreaded the word. Her heart fell.
“Eve needs to undergo surgery due to multiple fractures in her spine.  She may never be able to walk because the impact caused her to be paralyzed from the hips down.”  Ashlyn’s hopes sank.  The nurse knew Ashlyn’s spirits had sunk so she tried to cheer her up then she stopped at a room with a tv and one patient in it.  Eve Reyes.  The nurse walked in and Ashlyn followed.  The nurse spoke gently,
“My name is Norma incase you need anything.”  Ashlyn nodded and pulled up a chair and gently touched her mother’s hand.  There were many tubes connected to Eve.  A monitor measured her pulse and created a faint beep that spread across the room.  Ashlyn’s mother laid limp in the hospital bed.  A sky blue blanket covered her and the bed was slightly slanted so that she would be comfortable while sleeping.  Ashlyn’s eyes grew distant.  She hated seeing her mother like this.  Getting up she kissed her mother’s pale face and whispered,
“I’ll be back.”  Her mother stirred but went back to the peaceful position from earlier.  Ashlyn walked out of the hospital and went to work.   Her boss looked concerned.  Ashlyn looked at the clock and saw what time it was.  It was 9:30.  Her shift started at 9:15.  Ashlyn was never late for work and quickly apologized to her boss.  Her boss knowing Ashlyn was very punctual, got very worried.
“ Is everything okay?  You are never late and I don’t want to be nosy but if you need someone to talk to I am right here. “  Ashlyn rolled her eyes and shot back,
“I AM FINE.  So can you STOP asking me questions?”  Her boss’ eyes opened wide with shock and he stepped back.  His mouth closed in a tight line and he walked back.  Ashlyn closed her mouth and assessed what she did.  She decided to go and apologize after her shift ended.  The door opened and a customer walked in.  She was a tall lady who wore her long auburn hair to her hips, dressed in a loose fitting top with a designer bag in her hand.  Ashlyn was sure she saw that lady somewhere but wasn’t sure. Ashlyn scooped ice cream into a cup proudly displaying the MooMoo Ice Cream logo.  When she had finished the order the lady walked up to her.  The lady ordered a triple scoop in a waffle cone.  Ashlyn stared at the lady while fulfilling her order.  After giving the order to the lady she walked to the sink and washed her hands.  Then it hit her.  She was the judge for the cooking competition that Ashlyn wanted to enter into.  Her name was Maria Santiago. She was an accomplished chef and owned three restaurants all with five star ratings and a fine taste for food.  She pivoted back around but Mrs. Santiago was nowhere to be seen.  Sighing, she walked into the break room and grabbed a bottle of water.  Gulping the water down she quickly returned to her station.  Plastering a fake smile on her face and giving herself a pep talk wasn’t enough to keep her mind off of her mom for long. 
After a long day of work, she mustered all her energy and knocked on her boss’ door.  Taking a deep breath in and out the door had opened.  Her boss stood there with a frown and tired eyes.  She started to speak but he interrupted her,
“Ashlyn, after today’s incident I no longer want you working here.  You were a good employe but your rash behavior led me to my decision.  We will miss you here but it is for the benefit of MooMoo Ice Cream Parlor.”  Ashlyn slumped into a chair in his office and muttered,
“First, my mom gets hit by a car and now I’m fired from my job.”  Her boss heard this and asked,
“What was that?”  Filling up with anger she exploded and yelled at her boss,
“My mom got hit by a car and I’m fired from my job!”  Ashlyn sighed and walked out the door but her boss stopped her.  His hard expression softened.
“What did you say? Oh Ashlyn, I am so sorry. I am sorry. I did not understand your situation.  I didn’t know you were having a bad day so you are still on the team.”  Ashlyn smiled gratefully at her boss, and then walked out the door.  She was grateful for having such a wonderful boss.  She walked out the back door of the parlor, but her day wasn’t done.  Walking towards the beeping streetlight she stopped.  If she was to go over to Mrs. Raxi’s house then she needed a present for Mrs. Raxi’s two children.  Margo was ten and Jake or referred to as Jake-Jake was seven.  Ashlyn walked into the nearest convenience store.  She bought a fashion magazine for Margo, a teddy bear for Jake-Jake, and a sweet warm apple pie for everyone.  She picked up a whisk and thought of her mom.  She bought a sweater for her mother and payed for it and the workers wrapped up the gifts.  When she walked out the door, reporters surrounded her. 
“How do you feel know you know that your mother is in the hospital and got hit by a car?  Are you gonna take legal action?” one reporter asked.  Ashlyn was surprised at the attention she was getting but calmly replied,
“Once my mom gets better and ask for her side of the story and what she wants to do then together we shall make our decision.”  She looked at the reporter and as the reporter opened her mouth she added,
“No further comment.”  She saw people do this on tv to make the reporter shut up.  She walked quickly to Mrs. Raxi’s home and knocked on the door.  She was greeted by the warm smell of a dinner cooking and a smile on Margo’s face.  Walking into the small but comfy home she put down the presents and brought the pie over to Mrs. Raxi who put it in the refrigerator.  Dinner was delicious and the creaminess on the pie melted on Ashlyn’s mouth.  The caramel sauce drizzled on the crust shifted as Ashlyn took each bite.  The sweet aroma danced through the air and out the window into the cold, brisk air. 
The night went fast and as Ashlyn awoke she smiled she had a feeling that today is going to be better.  She put on a new set of clothes and jogged over to the hospital and visited her mother.  Her mother was awake.  Ashlyn quickly greeted her mother and gave her the present.  Her mother’s eyes filled with tears.  
“What’s wrong?” Ashlyn said.  She grabbed her mom’s hand.  Her mother brushed away the tears and spoke in a gentle voice,
“It is Christmas but you won’t be able to spend it with me.  I am just going to be a burden because I am stuck in a wheelchair,”  her mother’s lip quivered as she spoke to Ashlyn.  Ashlyn’s mother quietly sobbed.  Ashlyn reassured her mother and asked her mother a very important question.  She realized that she only had a week before entries were due for the cooking competition. 
“Mom?  Can I join a cooking competition.  If I win I can go to Le Cordon Bleu.  The school in France that you wanted to go to before you met dad.”  Ashlyn’s eyes glistened as she spoke. 
“Ashlyn.  First of all it is ‘May I’.  Second of all, no. I will not let you join.”  Ashlyn was shocked by the outcome.  She questioned why. 
“Why can’t I Mom?”  Ashlyn whined.
“I don’t want you to go.” her mom said calmly.  She didn’t understand why her mother wouldn’t let her join so she jumped to conclusions.
“You are jealous of me.  Just because you had a horrible experience with cooking doesn’t mean you can stop me from following my dreams.”  Gasping for air she turned to face her mother only to see her mother’s shocked expression. 
“It is not like that.  I need someone to take care of me due to my current condition.  I don’t have any money to pay for my bills or anything.  If you make it to France I will have no one to help me with everything.  I am no longer independent.  I need help.”  With these words tears came streaming down the pale white face.  Taking a deep breath in Ashlyn proposed a deal. 
“Mom.  I will stay here if I lose.  If I don’t lose then I will be off to France.”   Her mother knew this was a big risk for Ashlyn so she asked,
“Are you sure?  This is a big risk on your part, but if you do win then who will take care of me while you are gone?” 
“I can use the prize money and get another job.  My salary currently is 16,800 dollars a year but if I get another job then I will make the same amount as you.  The prize money for the contest is 10,000 dollars because it is sponsored by the great Maria Santiago.  Ashlyn’s mom smiled and agreed to the deal but she had to taste all the dishes before Ashlyn submitted the recipe.  Ashlyn walked out of the room overjoyed and walked home.  She watched a cooking a channel and decided on what she would make.  She would make a Surf ‘N Stuffed Mushrooms and Warm Spiced Pecans with Rum Glaze for her appetizers, Paella for her main dish, and for dessert would be Strawberry Mousse.  The mushrooms and pecans would be a delicious warm-up for a plate full of delicious flavors in her paella.  Strawberry mousse had never been done well in competitions but Ashlyn had a wonderful recipe and a master to teach her.  Her mother.  She started writing down the recipes and quickly ran to the supermarket and bought all the ingredients she needed. 
Arriving home, she made all the dishes and brought them over to her mother.  She also brought the recipes.  Her mother enjoyed every bit of it and made some pointers on the salt level and the sweetness for the mousse.  Making improvements to her recipes, she mailed them out to the contest including her application form.  She knew she was in the competition so she sat back and relaxed. 
The week quickly passed but finally the day had come.  Ashlyn put on jeans and a nice t-shirt and walked out the door.  Mrs. Raxi drove her to the competition site.  To Ashlyn’s surprise, her mother was waiting for her.
“What are you doing here?” Ashlyn asked.
“I knew you would say that.”  Her mother giggled, “I came here to cheer you on.”  Ashlyn felt warm inside. 
“Thank you so much for being here Mom,” Ashlyn said as she leaned down for a hug.
“I have something to give you,” her mother said as she pulled out a box decorated in lace and ribbons.  Ashlyn gasped and teared up.  Opening the box to discover a gold ring with a sparkling diamond set at the top and a pair of diamond earrings. 
“Don’t cry.  It will ruin your makeup and you’ll get tired.  You have a competition to win.”  Winking and thumbs up her mother got pushed away.  Ashlyn walked towards her station and tied her apron back and pulled her hair up.  The judges walked in but the spotlight was on Maria Santiago.  Mrs. Santiago kept on staring at her so Ashlyn got nervous.  Wondering what she did wrong, she decided to not think about it any more.  In the station next to her was a rising chef, Chef Jean Paul.  The second youngest in the competition.  Ashlyn was the youngest.  He had beautiful Café Au Lait Blonde hair worn in the flow and comb style.  Aquamarine eyes glistened from the light shined onto the stage.  Ashlyn quickly redirected her attention back to her station.  Looking into the crowd she quickly found her mother in the front row. 
The hour for cooking had come and Ashlyn worked efficiently.  The mushrooms were cooked perfectly.  She had made an extra one and tasted it.  The saltiness and the stuffing encased her tongue in warmth.  She quickly started on her pecans.  Working on the glaze first before coating the pecans ensured that the pecans get to messy.  The pecans were coated in an egg white mixture.  She poured the glaze on made from some water, butter and sugar just so they were sticky enough to hold onto the dry spices she rolled them in.  Ashlyn put the mushrooms on a light blue plate too represent the surf.  The pecans went in a tiny c***tail glass.  The server came to her station first and picked up her dishes.  The card in front of the dishes explained what it was.  Ashlyn nervously watched the judges expressions.  All of them closed their eyes as the flavors coated their tongues and Ashlyn thought that she had done well. 
The next round came. She had a set time to cook her paella.  She started on the rice and quickly grilled the squid, chicken, and threw in peas for color.  She added paprika and thyme for flavor.  The sauce had a pinch of chili and a dab of red wine.  She plated each dish in a miniature wok.  One for each of the judges.  The portions were slightly larger than others but each of the judges finished their share of the paella.
Next came the strawberry mousse.   There is a reason that strawberry mousse recipes aren’t very prevalent: The berries contain lots of juice. This ruins the texture of a mousse that should be creamy and rich. Plus, the fruit flavor produced by most strawberry mousse recipes are subtle. Ashlyn started by processing berries into small pieces and macerating them with sugar and a pinch of salt, causing them to release liquid. Which she then reduced to a syrup before adding it to the mousse—a technique that not only limits the amount of moisture in the dessert but also concentrates the berry flavor. Then Ashlyn fully pureed the juiced berries, which contribute to a  bright, fresh berry flavor. Finally, she choose her stabilizers carefully: gelatin for structure, and cream cheese, an unusual addition, for a richer, creamier body.
There was an hour for intermission so the judges could decide on who one.  Ashlyn ran towards her mom and they embraced. 
“Ashlyn Upton.  Please report to your station,” spoke a voice over the PA.  Ashlyn got nervous and wondered what she did wrong.
“Go on.  They are calling for you.  Think positive,” her mom spoke with a glisten in her eye.  Ashlyn headed towards her station.  When she arrived she saw Jean Paul there.  IN her mind she thought ‘Why is he here?’ and ‘Why are we both here?’.  To satisfy her questions, Mrs. Santiago spoke and said,
“You both show great talent.  You have tied and are both accepted into Le Cordon Bleu.  Ashlyn Upton.”  When hearing this Ashlyn stood up straighter. “Your mother was a chef right?  Can you bring her here for me?”  Surprised at her request Ashlyn quickly scampered off and brought her mother to Mrs. Santiago.  Mrs. Santiago took off her glasses and laughed.
“Girl, have you been good while I was gone?” Ashlyn was shocked at the way Mrs. Santiago was talking so she spoke,
“Mrs. Santiago…”She began.
“Oh dear.  Just call me Maria.  Your mother and I have been great friends for many years.  When I hear that she got hit by a car, I knew I had to check on her family.  I remembered that my boyfriend saw you at Moomoo Ice Cream Parlor the other day so I bought ice cream there the other day.  You probably remember because I saw through the window that you pivoted around.  I knew you were fine honey.  When you sent in your form to join the competition, I was overjoyed.  See I was there when your father passed away.  A good soul and a nice man but he had a horrible taste in food.” Maria rambled on. 
“Wow,” Ashlyn eyed her mother, “I never knew this.” 
“Your mother told me the deal you made with her but for you to follow your dreams you would have to leave your mother behind and have to support her.  I have got that covered.  Plus I already bought you a residence next to mine in the Bahamas.  I will pay for it until you have become an accomplished chef.  Don’t give up.  Oh, and Jean Paul is here because he is single and I wanted to play matchmaker.”  She winked and walked towards Ashlyn’s mother. 
“Eve, they would make a good couple.” 
“I know.  They would earn money the same way and at family reunions we would have delicious food.” Ashlyn’s mother glanced over at Ashlyn.  Her face said ‘My baby’s grown up now’. 
“Wait you knew about this and you were okay?” asked Ashlyn astonished.  Then Jean Paul grabbed her hands and gazed in her eyes.  Ashlyn’s mother giggled and Maria burst out laughing. 
“J t’amie,  Ashlyn.  You have nice hair I see.  Oh! Nice nails,” spoke Jean Paul with a cute french accent. 
“We leave for ze airport later today.  See you zen.”  He dashed away.  Ashlyn turned to her mother and had a puzzled look plastered on her face.  But then the three some burst into a fit of laughter. 
“We need to go home.  I have to pack,” Ashlyn said franticly.  Her mom laughed hard. 
“No need to pack.  Use your prize money to buy clothes in Paris.  Plus, I’m sure that Jean Paul is going to give you some clothes from his mother’s clothing line.  It is the softest and the most stylish in all of the world. You need to head over to the airport now.  Jean Paul and you will be next door neighbors.  I’m sure that you will learn to love him.  See you in a year dear. “  Waving as Maria and her mother left. 
“Mom!  J t’amie,” she called out.  She was sure she felt her mother smile but wasn’t sure but that didn’t matter.  A new chapter in all of their lives were about to start.