Emberwood I'm inside out, you're underneath

He dipped his head in silent gratitude at her words. His devastating past wasn't something he wished to speak much about, so he was thankful that she directed the conversation to his daughter. Her name is Lainie, he offered, a smile tugging the corner of his mouth despite the lump of despair that sat heavy in his chest like a boulder. She's smart—too smart really. Things have been hard for her, and she hasn't had as much freedom as she should have, but I can't let anything happen to her. He shook his head, swallowing hard. He knew he shouldn't smother her so much, but he didn't feel like he had much choice. She would understand one day how hard it is to do what is needed when all you really want is to do whatever will make them happy; sometimes they aren't synonymous, which meant he often felt like the bad guy. 

And what about you? Do you have any children? Maybe they were here with her and she just hadn't mentioned them yet. Lainie would be excited if that were the case; she was always looking for friends her age.