She wanted to hug him. She wanted to hug him so badly. Her arms actually trembled from the willpower it took to refrain from throwing them around his shoulders and squeezing until he hugged her back. Except he wasn't going to do that. Just holding his arm made him stiffen up, hugging might turn him to stone, and he'd definitely not hug her back then. They'd work up to that.
But she did give him a bright, pleased smile. “Yes, I do think that. I think that exactly. I just wasn't certain if you would agree. Some people...”
She trailed off for a moment, because once again, they were going to touch on the topic of his father. Which she already knew was unpleasant for him and she really didn't want to cause him discomfort. Lottie was learning that there were depths to Hades that she was definitely starting to appreciate. She liked him. But she'd already started to say it, and it was a valid point after all.
“Some people might consider this place a punishment, but that's because they don't look beyond the surface. There are some truly wondrous things here, both bad and good. And when you live here, you learn, you learn, there's an advantage to be found in almost anything. You can turn anything your way if you work at it. I think you already know how to do that.
“Maybe,” she finished softly, “this place doesn't have to be a burden or even a responsibility for you. Maybe it can be your home.”
When Friendship used the word home, she didn't simply mean a place to reside. She meant, as she'd told him already, that it was the place your heart belonged. And if anybody needed a home, it seemed to be Hades. Philotes was going to help him find his.