Alice wasn't weak, but she didn't feel strong. A strong woman could stand up to her family, find work outside of unsavory men and (occasionally) women who wanted her for her body and not her brains. Iris embodied strong the way she hadn't, and Alice equally envied and admired her for that rare quality.
"I'm sorry," she apologized, hazel eyes shying away to hide her embarrassment. "I guess I'm not use to compliments."