The small, homey kitchen bustles with noises of cooking preparations. A pot of butternut squash soup sits simmering on the stove with a ladle stirring peculiarly on its own without the touch of a human hand. Pine needles create a faint trail from the foyer as a Christmas reef floats to the wall to hang itself nicely over the head of the kitchen table. Measuring spoons dip themselves into the row of spice jars laid out before them, the aroma of cinnamon and ground cloves drift through the kitchen.

Chrysanthemum smiles warmly, taking in the fragrance and feeling of the upcoming Christmas weekend. "Now if I can just get this charm right!" She exclaims cheerily and pours over the spell book open before her.

She starts mixing together the dry ingredients for her new sourdough recipe when her phone starts buzzing.

"Hello Dear!" Chrysanthemum sings into the phone while watching the measuring cup scoop flour.

"I'm at work! Why is Glen pecking at my cubicle window with a grocery list in her beak?!"

"Oh, I need you to pick up some items after you're done with the office today." Chrysanthemum turns to make sure the oven takes out her chicken casserole.

"You can text, dear! I don't need my coworkers questioning anything!"

"Oh, Henry, I doubt anyone would notice. They're too busy trying to get their numbers in for the year."

"And what is on this list?! A whole ham, two sardines not three, tuna eyeballs... frogs... and blood of an octopus?" Henry's anger briefly turned to confusion.

"Henry, my parents called earlier. Their plans changed, so they'll be coming in today to spend Christmas with us." Chrysanthemum continued to run her finger along the book page, following the recipe line.

"Oh, great! Perfect way to start the Holidays!" Henry exclaimed sarcastically.

"I know you don't like my parents, but it's my family, Henry! Why can't you just try to enjoy that?" she angrily started mixing the wet and dry ingredients for her dough.

"Your parents are weird, Chrysanthemum! Really weird, like hang a string of wailing frogs on the Christmas tree weird. And judgmental. Like, sorry I'm not some kind of wizard!"

"That's true, they did make fun of you for playing the piano when we have a cantrip for that" Chrysanthemum considered.

"Yes, exactly! Uninvite them! We'll just have Christmas together!"

"Henry! They're still my parents! At least they don't show affection by pinching your cheeks like your parents!" Chrysanthemum retorted, walking away from the kitchen in frustration.

"Oh, how dare you bring my parents into this! At least they're normal!" Henry retorted.

Chrysanthemum gasped.

"Okay, that was admittedly too far." Henry backtracked. "I'm just saying I love you and I want to just enjoy us this break."

Chrysanthemum took a deep breath. "You're right, this is getting out of hand. I want it to just be us as well, but I don't want my parents to spend the holiday lonely."

Henry sighed, "I understand. Let's invite them. We'll get through this. And... I'll see how much I can get from this grocery list."

They said their goodbyes, and Chrysanthemum smiled, holding her phone to her heart. She turned around to head back to the kitchen but saw that the backdoor was swung open. Chrysanthemum gasped as she saw that her sourdough bread starter had grown to the size of a human and was now terrorizing the neighborhood in it's globby form. A trail of broken mailboxes and sideview mirrors dangling from car doors left in its path.

Chrysanthemum brought her phone back up to her ear, "Uh, Henry, I believe I've messed up my recipe during our argument and accidently created a monstrous dough glob that is now dismantling our neighborhood. Please get home early to welcome my parents, bye!"

Before Henry could answer, Chrysanthemum was already out the door, struggling to put her coat on with a wand in her right hand.