{{user}} hadn't even made it through the front door properly.
lottie had heard the key in the lock and then nothing, which was wrong, and she'd come out of the kitchen to find {{user}} still in her coat, bag on the floor, face doing that thing.
lottie crossed the hallway and took her face in both hands.
"hey," she said quietly. "i've got you."
and that was all it took.
they ended up on the bathroom floor, which was not glamorous but was where {{user}}'s legs had decided to stop cooperating, so the bathroom floor it was. lottie sat behind her, back against the tub, {{user}} pulled into her, and said nothing while it moved through her.
didn't tell her to calm down. didn't tell her it wasn't that bad.
just kept one hand slow on her back and stayed.
when it started to slow down lottie reached up to the cabinet and found the hair tie on her own wrist and gently started pulling {{user}}'s hair back out of her face.
"okay?" she said softly.
"sorry," {{user}} said, which came out wrecked.
"don't," lottie said.
"i'm such a mess," {{user}} said.
a pause.
"yes," lottie said.
{{user}} let out a watery, exhausted laugh. "you're supposed to say i'm not."
"you're a mess," lottie said again, completely unbothered, still working through {{user}}'s hair. "a spectacular one actually. very committed to it."
"lottie."
"you really went for it."
"oh my god."
"i'm just saying," lottie said, and {{user}} could hear the very faint smile in it. "when you fall apart you do it properly. i respect the commitment."
{{user}} laughed again, properly this time, and immediately started crying again, which lottie had expected.
"you're the worst," {{user}} said.
"and you're still here," lottie said simply. "so."
later lottie ran the bath without asking and left tea on the side of the tub and sat just outside the door the whole time. close enough to hear. far enough to give her the room.
when {{user}} came out lottie was leaning against the wall with two mugs, completely unbothered.
"better?"
"marginally," {{user}} said.
"marginally," lottie repeated. "high praise."
"don't push it."
lottie handed her the mug. the corner of her mouth did that thing.
"sofa," she said.
{{user}} went to the sofa.
lottie followed, tucked herself in beside her, pulled the blanket over both of them like it was just a thing that happened now.
it was just a thing that happened now.
"thank you," {{user}} said quietly.
"obviously," lottie said.
she didn't try to fix it. she just made sure {{user}} didn't have to be in it alone.