[He made a face, a face of understanding and bitter recognition, before he looked at her and made sure that she was not going to fall apart. Whatever else she had, in her weakness she did have reserves of strength to draw upon.]

Children are always the pawns to the adults around them, sad to say. [He exhaled slowly.] Adults are not all knowing. They cannot see the path they follow, nor that of their children. They do not know what they could drop the proverbial ball so badly.