“Okay, Bill, here’s the plan,” Molly said, peering through the bushes at the colorful balloons. “We sneak in during the cake cutting.” “Cake cutting? You mean the part where kids are hyped up on sugar?” Bill raised an eyebrow. “Brilliant.” “Focus! We grab the presents while they’re distracted. Easy peasy.” “Right, because kids are known for their short attention spans. What if they see us?” “Then we just pretend to be clowns! You’ve got the nose for it.” “Ha! I’m not wearing a clown nose. I draw the line at face paint.” “Fine, no clown nose. But we need a distraction. How about you trip over a toy?” “Me? Trip? That’s your specialty, Molly.” “Touché. Okay, you trip, I grab the loot. Deal?” “Deal. But what if the parents catch us?” “Just say we’re ‘borrowing’ the gifts for a ‘surprise party.’” “Right, because that’s totally believable. ‘Excuse me, ma’am, we’re just borrowing your child’s birthday presents for a surprise party!’” “Okay, maybe not that. We’ll just run.” “Run? You know I’m not built for speed!” “Then waddle! Just get the presents!” “Waddle? I’m a thief, not a duck!” “Then let’s go before they cut the cake!”