“I won’t be gone long this year.”

Santa and Mrs. Claus stare at the nearly empty sleigh.

“More elf layoffs?” she asks.

Santa nods, holding up the “Nice” list, covered with crossed-out names.

“Well,” she sighs, kissing his cheek and patting his belly, “somebody could do with fewer cookies, anyway.”

Tony Jasnowski teaches English at Bellevue University and still tries hard, with occasional success, to keep his name on the Nice list.