She’d gone right up to Mirrie after the meeting; she’d waited patiently while an endless stream of people talked to her, congratulated her, thanked her. Finally, it had just been the two of them in the corner and when their eyes met, it was like a spark of connection, of recognition. Despite all the differences in outer appearances, the two women saw each other, knew each other.
“Hi,” Mirrie said, her voice roughened from a serious cigarette habit that had started at the tender age of thirteen and she'd only just kicked. “I’m Mirrie.”
“Naomi.”
Mirrie took her in. The pale face, the dark circles under the eyes, the tension wound up hard and unforgiving. “How many days?”
“Twenty-eight.”
“White-knuckling it the whole time?”
Naomi managed a laugh. “Oh, hell, yeah.”
“You want to get a co
