Twenty-three years earlier
 

“Are you enjoying yourself, Yuri?”
 

“Oh, yes ma’am. It’s been wonderful. Thank you for allowing me to come along.”
 

Jessica smiled as she eavesdropped on her mother and Yuri. She  turned  the  water on, drowning  out their  conversation  as  she  finished  brushing  her teeth.  When she finished, Yuri was leaning in the doorway, waiting.  Their eyes met, shyly at first as they both looked away.  Then Jessica dared to hold her gaze, seeing just a hint of nervousness in Yuri’s eyes.  She assumed Yuri saw the same in hers.  They didn’t talked about what had happened last night.  They hadn’t had a minute alone all day.  Even at the movies, her brother Mark wanted to sit by Yuri so they were separated.  But still, it was different between them.  She could tell each time their eyes met, each time they touched, however slight.  There was electricity, a spark.  And now the twins and their friends were in bed, her parents were winding down and she and Yuri would be off to bed… alone.

“It’s all yours,” she finally said, motioning to the sink.
 

“Thanks.”
 

“I’m...I’m just going to go ahead to...to bed,” she said, stepping out of the way.
 

“Be there in a sec.”
 

Jessica  let  her  breath  out  as  soon  as  Yuri  closed  the  door.  She  was  nearly  embarrassed  by her nervousness. What did she  think would happen? There were no excuses of sunburn this time so there wouldn’t be a repeat of last night.

“Jessica?”
 

She turned, finding her mother watching her. “Yes?”
 

“Are you okay?”

She felt her face turn scarlet and she stayed in the shadows of the hall, hoping her mother couldn’t see. “ I’m fine.  Why?”

You’ve been a little quiet today, that’s all.”

“Oh, no.  Today was fun.”  She smiled.  “I’ve had a good time this year.”

“You’re glad you invited Yuri?” she asked quietly.

“Yes.  Especially since she’s never been down here before.”

“Well, she’s very nice.  Mature for her age.”

Jessica nodded.  “Yes.  Very different from Hara, huh?”  Her mother laughed.

“Very.”  She turned away.  “Goodnight, honey.  Get some rest.  Tomorrow will be your last full day on the beach,” she reminded her.

 “Okay. Goodnight.”
 

She  finally  escaped  into  their  bedroom,  hurrying  out  of  her  shorts  and into  her  sleep  shirt. She’d just pulled the covers up when Yuri came in. She stood at the door, hesitating for a second before she came in and closed it. Jessica knew they needed to talk about what had happened, but what would she say? Sorry  that I lost my head and d you? Sorry that I really lost my head and wanted to kiss you? But she said nothing, watching as Yuri hit the light switch, plunging the room into darkness.  She should have turned her head away, she shouldn’t have watched, but her eyes strayed as Yuri took her clothes off, then slipped into her own sleep shirt, hiding her small s from Jessica’s gaze.  She bit her lower lip, trying to keep her breathing as normal as possible, but Yuri wasn’t even in bed yet and she felt that pull – making her heart flutter, making her stomach do flips, making her skin tingle.

She wasn’t certain how she was going to be able to stand it.  For the first time in her life, she wanted someone.  She recognized it for what it was.  She was ually attracted to Kwon Yuri.  She squeezed her eyes shut.  Not a boy, no.  She never, ever felt this way with a boy.  And she knew deep inside she would never feel this way with a boy.

“Jessica?”
 

She turned her head slowly, finding Yuri standing beside the bed, watching her.

“Yes?”
 

“Do you...do you want me to sleep on the floor?”
 

“Oh, God...no, Yuri. No.” She pulled the covers back. “Get in.”
 

Yuri got into bed, keeping her distance, which was hard to do in the small double bed.
 

“I’m sorry about last night,” she said. “I shouldn’t have—”
 

“I started it,” Jessica said, interrupting her apology. She took a deep breath. “Do you want to talk about it?”
 

“Do you?”
 

Jessica rolled onto her side, facing Yuri.  “If it were anyone  other  than  you,  I’d  be  totally mortified over what happened.”
 

“What do you mean, other than me?”
 

“Because if it were someone else, it would have just been experimenting, playing around. We would blow it off, go back to school and then worry that the other one would tell someone what happened.”
 

“But?” Yuri whispered.
 

“But  it  wasn’t  just  experimenting.”  She met Yuri’s eyes, the shadows making it hard to read them.  “Was it?”

 “No,” Yuri said, the word just a whisper. She cleared . “There’s something I should tell you.”
 

“Okay.”
 

“Please don’t be mad at me. I should have told you sooner.”
 

“Okay,” Jessica said again.
 

“I’m...I’m gay.”
 

Jessica wasn’t sure how to respond. She wasn’t shocked, no. But what did she say? Gee, that explains all that touching and heavy breathing last night.  Of course, she was the one who started it.  What did that make her?

“Jessica? I’m sorry—”
 

“No. No, don’t. I just don’t know what to say,” she admitted.
 

“I promise I won’t ever tell anyone what happened. The secret is safe.”
 

Jessica sm