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feeling a sudden wash of relief. Finally. She felt herself relax.
“Maggie!”
“I’m coming, Amanda!”
She felt light, calm, drifting towards the voice on sure, quiet
feet, and her headache seemed to dissipate little by little as she
drew glided down the narrow hallway. There were mirrors on
either side of her, lining the path like church pews, and she felt
supremely at ease, knowing that she need only take a few more
steps, and she would finally find what she had been looking for.
Her breathing eased.
“Maggie….”
The dressing rooms. They were there in front of her. For a
moment, she stood, dazed, no longer able to trace the calming
voice that had pulled her in.
“I’m here, Maggie, in here….”
Another wash of calm forced the uncertainty from her mind.
She had no memory of approaching the door, but she knew she
needed what was behind it. The brassy knob was like ice under
her fingertips. She turned it and the door swung open.
Amanda was there before her, lace-sheathed arms open, her
chocolate hair fanning out behind her as if caught in the draft, a
brilliant smile on her face, as if she knew exactly how Maggie
was suffering. Maggie felt a blast of euphoria as she, too, opened
her arms to embrace her friend.
Her cheek met cold glass. She pulled back, and the veil of
calm that hovered around her ruffled for a moment as she real-
ized that she was staring into a three way mirror.
But this was right, she was sure of it, and the sense of
complete tranquility enveloped her again as she gazed back at
herself reflected threefold in the glass. The silvery white organza
fluttered lazily about her ankles as she moved, back and forth,
back and forth, and she couldn’t pull her eyes from her reflec-
tions as she began to spin, the gauzy material swirling around her
in a shimmering vortex as she twirled, and for the first time in

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