Vrenille's smile is sad. He's still homesick every single day. But he does smile nonetheless because the length of time he's been here is no one's problem but his own, and anyway, he has people he loves here now. So instead he offers the best reassurance he can:

"I dunno anyone else who's been here as long as me straight through. A few maybe come close and sometimes people vanish and turn up again--sometimes even with their memories of this place intact. For most folks though, they don't end up here that long, don't worry."