"You're not awful at leadership. What Fern did was foolish, and entirely her own fault."

Charlie brushed the tears away with a pocket handkerchief, settling on his knees beside the couch to see Carlotta's face easier. "You're not hopeless, at all. You're much better than I ever was, at your age, and since."

He touched her cheek lightly, looking up at her quietly. "Please don't cry. You're much too beautiful to be so sad."