“Okay, Bill, I think we’ve got the perfect plan here,” Molly said, tapping a finger on a crumpled piece of paper. “Yeah? Lay it on me,” Bill replied, leaning in with a skeptical eyebrow raised. “Right, so first, we burst in during the cake cutting. Everyone loves cake, right?” “Sure, cake and chaos. But what’s the plan once we’re in?” “Simple. While they’re distracted, we grab the presents. It’ll be like taking candy from babies!” “Except we’ll actually have to wrestle with those babies if they start crying,” Bill pointed out. “Pfft, we’re thieves; we can handle a few tears. Just think about the toys!” “Speaking of toys, do you even know what’s on the list this year?” “Who needs the list? It’s a kids’ party! Plush bears, action figures, maybe a sparkling unicorn!” “Lovely. So, we’re stealing all the dreams of innocent children. That’s definitely a new low for us.” “Come on, it’s 2023! We can’t get picky with our heists anymore!” “Fine, but what about the parents? They’ll notice if their kids’ dreams go missing.” “Easy! You get a big bag, and I’ll get the distraction going.” “Distraction, right. And how do you plan on doing that?” “I’ll pretend to be one of the clowns. Kids love clowns, and parents are too busy taking selfies. Trust me!” “Of course! You, as a clown. That's going to go smoothly. What’s your clown name? 'Creepy Molly'?” “Hey! I’m funnier than most comedians out there!” “You’re right about the comedians… but let’s get back on track. How do you want to dress as a clown?” “Big shoes, red nose, colorful wig! It’ll be easy! Plus, I can juggle!” “Juggling?! I’ve seen you drop your keys every time you try to juggle your own life!” “I won’t drop anything this time! I promise!” “Uh-huh, promises. And I suppose you’ll be the one with a hoard of presents in your other hand while juggling?” “Okay, maybe not juggling. But I’ll do cartwheels or something!” “Sure, and then we'll add "featured act at the party” to our resume.” “You know, my cartwheels are legendary,” Molly declared, puffing out her chest. “Legendary like the time you tried to ‘disappear’ up that tree?” “Hey! That tree had it coming. It was being snooty.” “Right, sure, you need to stop chatting. When does the cake cutting start?” “About fifteen minutes from now, which means we better get our clown gear together.” “Clown gear, right. What if we get caught?” “If we get caught, we’ll just claim we’re there for ‘party enhancement.’” “Love it. Just like the balloon animals you can’t make.” “Hey! I can make balloon… um, hats. And little swords!” “Of course you can.” “Molly, the best distraction is getting the kids involved! Bring the balloon swords!” “I’ve got an idea. You be my big, scary sidekick. The ‘Clown Commander’—the ones who really clean up!” “Great! So, I wear a silly outfit while doing your heavy lifting?” “Exactly! We’ll rule the world, one child's party at a time!” “Just as long as we don’t end up on a police wanted poster for theft… a thief’s trademark lives on!” “Worry about that later, Bill. Presents first, consequences later!”