"Contrary to what you believe," Jack said, his tone sharper, "I don't need to have been in the exact same circumstances to show empathy for your plight. I have never lost a child, nor have I ever been a slave. I can still imagine what that might have been like."
Jack's stern expression mellowed as he listened to Galadari grapple with his changing relationship with his brother. True, Jack had never had a blood brother, but during war, he had known the bonds of brotherhood. He had also known what it was like to lose them. Of course, he could imagine that it was worse when your brother cut those bonds himself, but...
Jack circled his desk and, unusually for him, sought out physical contact with his student. He put a hand on Galadari's shoulder, squeezed it. "Mr. Rubinhart," he said, "I can see this is very hard on you. I'm sorry for that."
The teacher sighed. He wanted to defuse Galadari's dramatics, without making it seem as if he was not taking the elf seriously. "And I think that... that the feelings you have, you losing your brother, may have made you blind to other options. Have you talking with Gilderoi? If you want, I can set up a conversation between the two of you. Act as a mediator."