Rena laughed as Thomas acknowledged her observation, wondering if anyone ever thought of the things that crossed her mind. At least he wasn't outright laughing at her; she wondered sometimes how often people thought her strange. When she first arrived, she had often worried about how different she'd seem from the others in town, that if she hung around too long they'd notice, but she'd come to realize that people were people and not once seemed to notice anything at all. Somehow, Greenville had become home one day and it seemed she was there to stay. It was a nice feeling.
When Thomas included her in his comment about keeping the place running, her smile broadened and she felt a warmth flood through her. It was humbling, in a way, and for a moment, Rena couldn't find words to express how she felt about it, the feeling of belonging and being a part of something. The feeling of being truly useful. It hit her from time to time and reminded her how far she'd come.
"All in a day's work, boss," Rena finally managed to utter softly, though her tone was light, unable to help but smile.