Such an image... the sable coat is a really evocative piece of clothing that could be a symbol of all sorts of qualities, experiences, etc. That ** in the bathroom-- Does she exist in real life? And was she from Quebec? Not necessarily important, but I got curious because of the "in a language barely recognizable as French" could have meant a couple of different things.

Michelle reminds me of Fantine a little. You have a way of including little things that really makes a story, like
the poor woman drinking lemon tea only to realise half-way that she actually wanted peach. I like that you didn't over-explain the history behind the bruises.