“A Very Puffy Christmas”

The house was finally quiet. After hours of holiday chaos—baking cookies, reading The Night Before Christmas, and coaxing two excited kids into bed—Julia and Mark collapsed onto the couch. The glow of multicolored lights from the Christmas tree filled the room, casting a warm, cozy ambiance.

Julia stretched her legs out and nudged Mark with her foot. “Well, Mr. Claus, I think it’s time to get to work. Those presents aren’t going to wrap themselves.”

Mark groaned, rubbing his temples. “Do we have to do it now?”

Julia smirked and reached behind the couch, producing a shiny glass water bong. “I think a little holiday cheer might make the task more enjoyable.”

Mark’s face lit up. “You’re a genius, Mrs. Claus.”

Julia handed him the bong, already loaded with their favorite blend of cannabis. “You get the first hit, dear husband.”

Mark leaned forward, taking a deep inhale, and let the smoke billow from his lips with a satisfied sigh. “Merry Christmas to us.”

Presents and paper surrounded them, ribbons strewn across the floor. Julia picked up the bong for her turn, giggling as she leaned into it. She took a deep pull and started coughing, a loud, hacking sound that rattled the quiet house.

“Shh!” Mark whispered urgently, half-laughing. “You’re going to wake the kids.”

But it was too late. The sound of small footsteps echoed down the hallway. A moment later, their six-year-old daughter, Lily, appeared, rubbing her sleepy eyes, followed closely by her eight-year-old brother, Sam.

“What’s going on?” Sam asked, peering at the table covered in wrapping paper—and at the bong sitting right in the middle of it.

Julia and Mark froze, staring at each other like guilty teenagers caught sneaking out. Julia cleared her throat. “Uh, nothing! Mommy and Daddy were just, um, wrapping your presents.”

Lily pointed to the bong. “What’s that?”

Thinking quickly, Mark blurted, “Oh, this? This is Puffy.”

“Puffy?” Sam tilted his head. “Like Frosty? Frosty the Snowman?”

Mark and Julia exchanged a glance, barely containing their laughter. “Not exactly like Frosty,” Julia said, her voice shaky from holding back giggles. “Puffy is… more of an adult toy. Not for kids.”

Lily’s eyes widened. “So Puffy’s not magic?”

“Nope,” Mark said firmly, ushering the kids back toward the hallway. “Now, back to bed! Santa’s coming soon.”

After a few minutes of giggling and hushed conversation, the kids finally settled back in their beds. Julia and Mark returned to the couch, still chuckling.

“That was close,” Julia said, lighting the bong again.

Mark grinned. “You know, Puffy is kind of like Frosty. Except instead of melting, he makes us melt.”

They finished wrapping the presents, laughing and reminiscing about past Christmases. Once the task was done, they celebrated with eggnog and sugar cookies, savoring the quiet and the glow of the tree.

Julia leaned back against Mark’s shoulder, looking at the now-finished pile of gifts. “We pulled it off. Another Christmas Eve success.”

Mark kissed her on the top of her head. “Best one yet.”

The next morning, the house was alive with excitement. Lily and Sam rushed into their parents’ bedroom, shaking them awake. “Santa came! Santa came!”

The family gathered around the Christmas tree, the kids tearing into their presents while Julia and Mark sipped coffee and watched with bleary eyes. Soon, the smell of breakfast filled the house as they worked together to prepare a buffet of pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, and pastries.

“Best Christmas breakfast ever!” Sam declared, syrup dripping from his chin.

Lily nodded enthusiastically. “Can we go outside and play in the snow now?”

Mark glanced at Julia, who shrugged. “Sure. Bundle up, though—it’s freezing.”

As the kids pulled on their snow pants and jackets, the parents began cleaning up the remnants of breakfast. The dishes were piled in the sink, and wrapping paper was stuffed into trash bags. With the house finally in order, Mark poured himself another cup of coffee and handed one to Julia.

“Well,” Julia said, looking around the tidy living room, “we survived another Christmas morning.”

Mark laughed. “And it’s not even noon.”

As they headed toward the living room, their path took them past the bay window. Julia froze, her coffee cup hovering midair. “Oh. My. God.”

Mark followed her gaze and nearly dropped his mug. In the middle of the front yard stood a five-foot-tall snowman. But this wasn’t any ordinary snowman. The kids had sculpted a perfect replica of their bong, complete with a rounded base and a long, cylindrical neck.

Lily and Sam were adding the finishing touches—button eyes, a carrot nose, and a scarf around its neck. They even packed snow tightly around a stick to create what was unmistakably a bowl piece.

“What… in the world…” Mark whispered.

Julia covered her mouth, torn between laughter and mortification. “They made Puffy.”

Sam waved through the window, his face beaming with pride. “Mom! Dad! Come see Puffy the Snowman!”

The parents stood frozen in place, steam rising from their forgotten coffee mugs.

Julia finally found her voice. “We… we have to do something. The neighbors will see!”

Mark shook his head, still staring at the snow bong. “What do we even say? ‘Oh, sorry, our kids just really love abstract art’?”

Julia couldn’t help but laugh, her shoulders shaking. “We’ll tell them it’s, uh, a modern sculpture. Maybe no one will notice the resemblance.”

Mark snorted. “Yeah, because nothing says Christmas like a five-foot-tall snow bong.”

After a few minutes of silent deliberation, the parents decided to let it go—for now. “It’s their masterpiece,” Julia said, still giggling. “We’ll take it down after they go to bed tonight.”

When they stepped outside to admire the kids’ handiwork, Lily and Sam were grinning from ear to ear. “Do you like it?” Lily asked, hopping up and down.

Mark crouched down, ruffling her hair. “It’s, uh… very creative.”

Sam beamed. “Puffy’s magic, right? Just like Frosty?”

Julia exchanged a look with Mark, who shrugged. “Sure,” she said, her voice light. “Puffy’s magic in his own way.”

As the kids laughed and danced around their snow creation, Julia and Mark returned to the porch. They sat on the steps, sipping their coffee and watching the joyful scene unfold.

“I think,” Julia said with a smile, “this might be our most memorable Christmas yet.”

Mark nodded. “Puffy would agree.”

And with that, they laughed, the warmth of family and the spirit of the season wrapping around them like a cozy blanket.