He stayed there, crouched, for a long time while she worked through her thoughts. In the end it seemed the guilt had not left her, not entirely. But her composure was returning bit by bit, and that was, by any stretch, a marked improvement. 

“[color=lightblue]No, darling, no. You aren’t stupid at all, and you need not apologize to me, nor try any harder, for anyone’s sake but your own. The Board may see these evaluations as tests of your worth, but I do not—and I don’t report them as such. We are here for [i]you[/i], and no one else.[/color]”

Letting go of her hand, he stood back up and made his way back to the other side of his desk. “[color=lightblue]Why don’t we call that it for the day, hm? What you’ve said, and what I hope you’ve heard, is more than enough. You did very well—even if you won’t admit that to yourself. I’m proud of you.[/color]”

As if to make his point, he flipped the notebook shut, and smiled at her. Suddenly, all of the warmth returned to him. “[color=lightblue]Is there anything else on your mind? Anything more I can help you with? Please, never hesitate to ask.[/color]”