"Is it so obvious?" Joanna shot back. Tears began leaking out of her eyes, and she impatiently brushed them away. "No, I'm not going to cry!"

"Why not?" Vanessa asked.

"What?"

"Why don't you go ahead and cry? Are you one of those women who think crying makes you weak and infantile? I don't know why anyone should think that. I cry all the time. It's a great release, you know. Men should cry more often."

"Ain't that the truth! If they did, maybe we'd have fewer assholes in the world."

"So . . . why don't you go ahead?"

Joanna looked at her companion for some moments, then burst...