29. the sound of waves

It was on his family's first vacation, ever, that Billy had his first kiss.

His parents had been saving since before he'd been born. His sisters reminded him of this constantly during the transport ride from Caprica City out to the mid-class Atheneum resort chain hotel settled on the shores of Treban Bay. The implication being that his late and rather unfortunate – in their opinion – arrival had stymied the plans for another ten years or so.

His mother had just rolled her eyes and pointed out the only reason they were going that summer was because Dad had unexpectedly been promoted. It hadn't helped his sisters' ribbing, but he will always remember that his mother never suffered cruelty or misinformation.

He has very few memories of the actual day-to-day events of that month-long summer excursion. Mostly, it's a series of impressions. His brother's whiny voice, rising over the bang of the bathroom door. His mother laughing at his sisters' screeching over the cold water. The way his father brushed a finger over the curve of his mother's cheek in the afternoon sun.

Little tiny memories that no one could ever take away.

But the big, huge, momentous thing that he remembers is standing on the little strip of beach attached to the resort and feeling Jun-mei Tanner's lips touch his own.

Jun-mei's family had moved in to the other half of the beach house he and his family had rented after their first week. He'd been a little jealous at first, knowing that while he had to share one of the three bedrooms with his brother, Jun-mei had had her pick, given that she was an only child.

They'd gotten on okay once introduced properly. Point of fact, he knows that she was the first girl he'd ever looked at and mentally let himself say, "Maybe..."

Her lips had been soft against his own. Different. Just a gentle pressure that wasn't entirely different from when his mother had bussed him before bed.

But standing there, listening to the beat of the waves against the shore, feeling the warmth of the setting sun on his face, it hadn't felt like his mother kissing him. It had been Jun-mei.