@mabes-in-reverse: (continued from here)
Mabel is quick to follow her great uncle, biting her lip before the other told her to help, quickly kneeling down and picking up some of the branches that had made part of the mess. “At least we know that we definitely should not get trees from there again, right?” she asked, although her voice still held part of its typical monotone. She was happy to not be doing shows, but it was very obvious that she even did them. “We should just get a fake one. This isn’t worth saving if it’s gonna fall apart so easily.”
— —★ Stan grunted as he r i g h t e d the tree, pausing to crack his back before bending down and p i c k i n g up some of the fallen branches. He grumbled, “Yeah, though it probably wouldn’t h u r t if I watered it every now and then.” he replied, “A fake one wouldn’t be so b a d. It wouldn’t make this kind of mess, and it’d probably s a v e money over the years.” he replied. Well, that was assuming he’d still have use for it in a c o u p l e years. He hoped he would, but there would be a t i m e when the kids got too old and wouldn’t want to s p e n d the holiday with their great uncle.