Nodding slightly in understanding, Cal set the pen aside, dropping the last little barrier she might see to expanding on that. He'd found that people blocked off less when you weren't obviously recording them in one manner or another. "It's not an uncommon thing for a lot of people in the system," he reassured her, "Unpleasant times is what get us there, right? And that's not a trend that gets changed up once you're in. I think it'd be a good thing to try and talk about, if you ever felt like it, but I won't hold a grudge if you say no."
Grinning warmly, Cal was willing to leave it at that if Carmel wasn't ready, and he really wasn't expecting her to be. They were still relative strangers, and any help beyond the physical realm was going to need time and trust. But he was patient with it, as he'd ever been. "And don't worry about personal issues if you think I could help. I know there's a touch of awkwardness to deal with, but I've been doin' this long enough to know how to separate my experiences when I need to."