Twenty-three years earlier
 

Jessica  closed  the  door  to  her  bedroom  and  plopped  down  on  the  bed.  The  sounds  of  chatter and laughter wafted up the stairs as her brother and sister shouted out names of their friends.  Their mother had just given them the okay to each invite one friend along for their week’s vacation at the beach.  It was a trip they took every summer in June, renting a beach house on Mustang Island.  The last two summers, Jessica had invited Hara and her mother assumed Hara would go again. Jessica stared at the phone on her desk.  Hara  would be  expecting to go. They were friends. Most thought they were best friends. She rolled over onto her side, tucking her hands against her cheek.  Despite what everyone thought, she didn’t really have a best friend.  She and Hara never talked about anything other than boys or cheerleading or their group of friends.  There was never anything deeper. Their conversations were as shallow as their friendship.
 

What she really wanted to do was invite Kwon Yuri to go with her to the beach. But did she dare? School had been out almost three weeks already and she’d not seen her since the last day at school.  She’d caught up to her just before Yuri has sped away on her bike.  Jessica offered to give her a ride home in her car.  As they’d stared at each other, Jessica realized how stupid her offer was – and transparent.  Yuri would have to catch another ride back to the school to retrieve her bike.  In the few seconds that their eyes held, Jessica nearly blurted out that they’d put the damn bike in the back of her car, anything to spend time with Yuri.  But she was too late.  Yuri gave her a wink and a slow, knowing smile as she pushed her bike away.

Jessica  rolled  over  onto  her  back  again,  staring  at  the  ceiling.  After the swim

Party, she’d made it a point to talk to Yuri at school.  Each time she did, the pull was stronger.  It was almost as if she craved her nearness.  She didn’t understand it.  Not completely.  It was . . .  it was an attraction, yes.

She swallowed and closed her eyes. There was nothing ual, of course. She wasn’t one of those girls.  Was she?  No, of course not.  Just because there wasn’t a spark with any of the boys in Calloway didn’t mean there’d never be a spark with a boy.

She eyed the phone again. She really wanted Yuri to go. She wanted to get to know her. She had a feeling that their friendship wouldn’t be shallow.  So she stood quickly, pulling out one of the drawers of her desk and finding the Calloway phone directory.  There were two Kwons listed.  She picked up the phone and dialed the first one, her heart pounding nervously as it rang.
 

A lady answered with a cheery “hello” and Jessica let out her breath.
 

“May I speak to Yuri, please?”
 

“Oh, dear, I’m sorry. She doesn’t live here. This is her Aunt Lou.”
 

“Okay. I’ll try the other number.”
 

She hung up quickly, embarrassed.  She  stared at the second number,  memorizing but decided against calling.  She scribbled down the address, noting the street wasn’t too far from school.  No wonder Yuri rode her bike.  She grabbed her keys and purse and nearly ran out of her bedroom, taking the stairs two at a time.  She ignored Mark and Krystal who were now perched in front of the TV.  She found her mother in the kitchen making sandwiches for lunch.
 

 “I’m going to run out,” she said, dangling her keys for emphasis.
 

“Where to?  It’s almost lunchtime.”
 

Jessica leaned her hip against the counter next to her  mother. “Mom, I don’t think I want to invite Hara to the beach this year,” she said.
 

Her mother glanced at her, then went back to spooning mayo  out of the jar. “I thought you had a good time with her last year.”
 

“I did. It’s not that.  It’s just...well, I want to invite a new friend.”
 

“Oh? Who?”
 

“Yuri. Kwon Yuri.”
 

Her  mother  stopped,  turning  to  look  at  her.  “Kwon  Yuri?  I’ve  never  heard  you  mention  her  before.”
 

Jessica shifted her weight, knowing she had no reason to be nervous, yet she was.

“She went to Catholic school, so she’s only been with us since freshman year.  She was at HyoMin’s swim party last month,”  she added, as if t