Ita did start to calm down, nodding and trying to calm her sobs, especially when he said her mother was crying because she was. His joke was inappropriate, but it made her smile, even through her tears. Still, she couldn't seem to stop crying, and her body was shaking slightly with the force of emotion.
His sharp words made her jump, and when he accused her of being ungrateful, she gasped a bit and took a step back. If he thought she would ever ruin a chance to be with her parents, he was an idiot. Very softly, she said, "You can't shut up and talk at the same time." And then she followed him quietly. She wished he wasn't her only connection to her parents - she would have soaked him through for being such an ass when she was already upset.