Hushed Willows Amid a Crashing World

And that toothy grin was all he needed to see to smile widely at the girl. A chuckle shook his shoulders. That's good, he thought. It was nice to make the kids laugh.
But, it was quick that her tone changed, and so his smile, too, suddenly dropped. More lively out west, she said, but something within told him to head west. Find something. Someone, maybe. But still, he would linger for just a while. Said:
Did... somethin' happen with 'em? Had a kid, once. Had that tone. To comfort. Softened his face. Dipped his head. You doin' okay? Because, as much as she was nearly full-grown, she was still just a girl, in his eyes. Reminded him of something.
Someone. Long gone.