He loosened his hold when she sat back, bringing up a hand he ran his thumb over her cheek after her hurried attempt to get rid of her tears.
"Don't apologise. Sometimes that's all you can do." He understood the feeling that led to it completely. The overwhelming feeling of helplessness. His hand moved to her chin, tilting her head and forcing her to meet his gaze when she kept stubbornly avoiding it, smiling when she finally did.
"That's better. Now all we need is a smile," he said in an attempt to get one from her.