Personal/paternal boundary conflict — Charlie's desire to date Zoey (young love and normalcy) collides with presidential protection and institutional optics (father vs. suitor).

Zoey slips into the Outer Oval with the casual intimacy of someone who knows the perimeter of power. She teases Charlie about his free time and effortlessly asserts she can …

Charlie interrupts the President's reading to announce the Chinese ambassador's arrival, then nervously asks Bartlet for permission to date Zoey. Bartlet deflects with wry, exasperated humor — "the worst time …

In a quiet Oval Office exchange, President Bartlet moves from a distracted literary aside about Revelation to a frank, paternal conversation with Charlie. He explicitly gives Charlie permission to date …