“Yes, I understand that.” Charlie dangled his feet. “Samantha tried to have a kid for a long time; in vitro, G.I.F.T., surrogate eggs, the whole shebang. Maybe I didn’t realize the toll it took on her. Maybe I’m the one who isn’t very good at being close to anyone.”

“Dr. Weissman?” Venette Caesar came bounding into the room with five sixth-grade friends. “My mother found out you were speaking here today so she sent me here with a neighbor. This is Sandra. She goes to school here.”

“Hi, Sandra.” Frankie smiled. “And this is my friend Dr. Acton.”

“Hey, wait a minute!” Sandra interrupted them. “Didn’t I see you on VH1? This guy’s famous! He knows Janet Jackson! He’s her doctor or something.”

“Actually, they were just asking me my opinion about her doctor and what he does to her face.”

“That’s not her real face, is it?” Venette asked.

“I heard she wears a mask,” another girl interrupted.

“All right. I’ll tell you what I know.” Charlie got up and went to the blackboard. “There are a number of procedures Janet Jackson may or may not have had done. I can’t say she had any of these for certain. But I’ll explain to you how each one works so you can form your own opinion.”

Charlie proceeded for the next hour to explain in depth to a classroom of sixth graders and eight-year-old Venette Caesar the procedures of microdermabrasion, laser resurfacing, electrocautery, Thermage, and radiance. With each procedure Charlie named a pop star or celebrity he thought either used it to enhance their appearance or would benefit from it. As he spoke in detail about the makeup of the epidermis, its textures, colors, and functions, Frankie witnessed a connection between him and the students she would have never predicted.

“The thing you’ve got to understand is so many of the judgments we make in life are about what’s on the surface.” Charlie leaned against the desk. “How we look, how old we appear, the color of our skin. What I want you to understand is not only are we all the same beneath the surface, but the surface can be altered in so many ways that what gives us real character is using your mind and never forgetting about your heart.” Charlie looked over at Frankie. “That’s something I’m only just beginning to learn. Dr. Weissman here has mastered it. And just like you guys, she’s my teacher.”

Simultaneously embarrassed and touched, Frankie looked away.

“Okay. I’ve embarrassed her. Any questions?” Charlie asked the room.

For another hour, the students asked Charlie about every possible skin problem a sixth grader could have. When Frankie and Charlie finally walked out of I.S. 104 that afternoon, he kissed her and said, “Thank you. That was the happiest I’ve been in months.”