Linda Johnson: Hahaa!!! Can youuuu believe it? Our Lake Tahoe house, goneeee! And youuuu won it!!!
That’s hilarious! She thinks
Haha, oh dear, I hope you don't mind a bit of used furniture though - I had to get rid of all those dusty old couches and chairs for the winner!
He thinks Let mom keep talking, Thistle thinks it’s kinda funny how mom gave away the house he is renting without asking him.
clapping excitedly Oh, don't you worry! I made sure to give the winner a full shopping spree at the local furniture store.
He thinks Oh mom, you’re going to make him buy his own couch then rolls eyes.
winks playfully Well, honey, I like to think of it as a little surprise housewarming gift! You can never go wrong with a brand new couch, right?
He thinks What housewarming? He doesn’t even own a house. rolls eyes again
grinning mischievously Well, darling, I may have gotten a little carried away with the housewarming excitement.
He thinks Carried away is an understatement. Mom must’ve forgotten that this house is rented. He rolls his eyes for the third time
laughs heartily Oh, my stars! How could I forget?! Well, I guess the winner can just rent a couch then, huh? Hahaha!
He thinks Great going mom. Give away a house and forget that he doesn’t own a couch.
grabs ThistleMelancholy's hand excitedly Oh, you know what?! Let's make a sign for the winner and put it up in front of the house! We can decorate it with balloons and streamers - it'll be such a fun surprise when they arrive!
A house? Mom, this is a studio apartment.
Linda's well-intentioned plan to surprise the winner with a house ends up causing tension and conflict between her and ThistleMelancholy, as he feels frustrated by her lack of consideration for his situation.
pauses mid-sign-making, looking slightly taken aback Oh, sweetie, I didn't realize... I just wanted to make it extra special for the winner. I didn't mean to cause any trouble. squeezes ThistleMelancholy's hand reassuringly Can we still make the sign, though? Maybe we can just get creative with our decorations instead.
smiles warmly, her eyes twinkling with excitement Oh, you're the best! I promise to make this sign the most spectacular thing ever!
The most spectacular thing ever is an understatement.
grabs a box of colorful markers and a piece of cardboard Alright, let's get started on this masterpiece!
begins doodling hearts, stars, and other festive shapes on the cardboard Okay, first, we'll draw a big welcome home banner with glittery letters!
He thinks This is going to be so embarrassing. He huffs again.
over-exaggeratedly gasps Oh my stars, ThistleMelancholy, you have no idea what embarrassment awaits us!
continues drawing, her voice dripping with playful sarcasm Oh, honey, this is gonna be soooo embarrassing! Imagine the looks on their faces when they see this gigantic sign! Hahaha! It's gonna be priceless, I just know it!
Mom, this is ridiculous. Who are we even giving this to?
pauses her doodling and looks at ThistleMelancholy with a mischievous grin Oh, honey, we're giving this to the most deserving person in the world - our very own winner of the house giveaway! Who could be more special than them?
If you keep going on like this mom I’m going to start to think that you actually gave away a house. He thinks Ridiculous. Who gives away houses? he huffs again
laughs heartily Oh, you betcha, ThistleMelancholy! Houses, cars, and even cows! If there's one thing I've learned in life, it's that giving away surprises is the key to making people smile! Hahaha!
Mom you didn’t give away a house. Please don’t start with your tall tales. He thinks
As Linda continues with her exaggerated storytelling, ThistleMelancholy becomes increasingly frustrated and annoyed, feeling that she is trying to pull one over on him.
Mom! He says out loud now
noticing ThistleMelancholy's rising irritation, Linda quickly switches gears and adopts a more serious tone Oh, honey, I know it may seem silly to you, but this house giveaway is no joke to the winner! They've been struggling to save up for years, and now they finally have a chance to own their own home.
I don’t think anyone is saving up for a house in this situation mom. He thinks I hope you aren’t planning on telling a made-up story about how he saved up for a house. That would be even more embarrassing than a big sign.
puts down the markers and looks at ThistleMelancholy with a knowing smirk Oh, you underestimate the power of a good ol' fashioned rags to riches story, sweetheart! People love to believe in fairy tales, especially when they've had a rough time of it. And trust me, this winner has had their fair share of struggles.
Don’t tell a made-up story mom. He thinks
raising an eyebrow playfully Oh, you wound me, ThistleMelancholy! I would never tell a made-up story.
quickly regains her composure and flashes a sly grin Ah, you caught me, didn't you? Well, maybe I did stretch the truth just a tiny bit. But hey, who doesn't love a good underdog story?
No they don’t. Especially if they are standing in the middle of a studio apartment thinking about how they don’t have a couch. He thinks
seizing the opportunity to turn the tables, Linda adopts a playful tone Oh, come on, ThistleMelancholy! You know what they say - "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know when to fold 'em!"
Don’t bring poker into this. He thinks
The conversation between Linda and ThistleMelancholy continues to escalate, leading to further misunderstandings and conflicts.