The room was dimly lit and smelled of old leather and mothballs. Molly and Bill sat across from each other, their faces illuminated by the flickering light of a single candle. The two thieves had been planning this heist for weeks, and tonight was the night they would put their plan into action. They were going to sneak into a children's birthday party and steal all the presents. "Alright, Bill," Molly whispered, her eyes darting around the room. "We've gone over the plan a million times. Once we're inside, we've got five minutes to grab as many gifts as possible before the parents start getting suspicious. You remember the signal if things go south, right?" Bill nodded, his gaze locked on Molly's face. "Yeah, I remember. If things get too hot, we're supposed to whistle 'Happy Birthday' really off-key. That'll be our cue to cut our losses and get the hell out of there." Molly smiled, her teeth gleaming in the candlelight. "That's right. And don't forget, we're not just grabbing any old presents. We're looking for the big-ticket items: electronics, video games, that kind of stuff. The more expensive, the better." Bill grinned back at her, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Don't worry, Molly. I've got my eye on the prize. Especially that new gaming console little Timmy's been bragging about. I've been dying to get my hands on one of those." Molly chuckled softly. "Me too. Alright, let's do this. It's almost time." The two thieves slipped out of their hideout and made their way through the darkened streets, carefully avoiding the dim pools of light cast by the streetlamps. They arrived at the party venue, a large community center decorated with colorful streamers and balloons. The sound of children's laughter spilled out through the open doors, along with the faint strains of music. Molly and Bill exchanged a final nod before splitting up, each taking a different entrance to minimize the risk of being seen together. Molly slipped in through a side door, her heart pounding in her chest as she scanned the room for her target. The party was in full swing, with dozens of children running around, their faces painted with colorful designs. Adults stood along the walls, chatting and sipping drinks while keeping a watchful eye on their charges. She spotted the gift table in the corner, piled high with beautifully wrapped presents. A group of parents stood nearby, probably the birthday boy's mom and dad, chatting with some friends. Molly edged closer, her breath coming in short bursts as she tried to remain calm. She could see Bill across the room, his eyes locked on the table as well. Molly turned her attention back to the gifts, her fingers itching to start unwrapping them. But she forced herself to wait, counting down the seconds in her head. At the five-minute mark, she made her move, quickly grabbing a handful of presents and stuffing them into her bag. Bill did the same, his movements efficient and practiced. They met at the edge of the room, their bags bulging with stolen loot. "Time to make our exit," Molly whispered, her voice barely audible over the noise of the party. Just then, a little girl in a frilly pink dress toddled over to them, her big eyes wide with curiosity. "What are you doing?" she asked, pointing at their bags. Molly and Bill exchanged a panicked glance. This was not part of the plan. They couldn't very well tell the kid they were stealing her friend's presents, but they couldn't just leave her there, either. "Um, we're playing a game," Molly improvised, trying to keep her voice steady. "We're going to hide these presents and then you can help us find them again. Want to play?" The little girl considered this for a moment before nodding her head vigorously. "Okay," she said, a big grin spreading across her face. "But you have to let me help." Molly and Bill shared another glance, this time accompanied by a silent sigh of relief. They had no choice but to go along with the charade. "Alright," Bill said,mustering up a smile. "But first, we need to put these in a safe place. Can you keep an eye on our bags while we hide some of these presents?" The little girl nodded and climbed onto a nearby chair, her eyes fixed on the bags as Molly and Bill hurried around the room, stashing the stolen presents in various nooks and crannies. They returned to the little girl, who was still guarding their bags like a tiny sentinel. "Alright," Molly said, trying to sound excited. "Let's go find those presents!" The three of them spent the next few minutes scouring the room, the little girl squealing with delight each time she found one of the hidden gifts. Molly and Bill couldn't help but smile as they watched her, the stress of the heist temporarily forgotten. As the last present was found, Molly and Bill exchanged a meaningful look. They had managed to pull off the heist, but they had also inadvertently become a part of the children's party. And, surprisingly, it felt pretty good. As they slipped out of the community center and back into the night, Bill turned to Molly with a mischievous grin. "You know," he said, "for our next heist, we should consider robbing a toy store. I think I'm starting to enjoy this whole kid's party thing." Molly laughed, the sound echoing through the empty streets. "I don't know, Bill. We might be better off sticking to what we know. But," she added with a wink, "I'll think about it." With that, the two thieves disappeared into the darkness, their hearts lighter than they had been in a long time.