What was with people being unwilling to cry? Philotes didn't totally understand that, and it seemed to her that it just seemed to make whatever problem was being faced worse. It probably wouldn't have stood out so much with Ninkasi if she hadn't just gone through a similar conversation with Harmonia.
"Okay," she said gently. "Okay, let's break it down and see what that gets us, okay? Right now? You're looking at a big tangled up ball, and it's frustrating and overwhelming, right? So let's untangle a string or two and deal with that, one piece at a time, until we get it all straightened out. We can do that, right? One at a time."
Letting go of Ninkasi's hand, she turned slightly to hug her again. "I'll help you. I promise." Leaning back, Lottie smiled and said, "Let's start with the first thing we should figure out. All the stuff that doesn't make sense, all the stuff that has you freaking out and crying and being unlike yourself, is there a common thread there? Is it all related?"