In the shadows of the alleyway, Molly and Bill crouched behind a dumpster, the night's consummate nostrils allowing them the sweet scent of a fresh haul. The party venue loomed before them, a gaudy monstrosity of primary-colored balloons and streamers giving the impression of a live electrical accident. Molly frowned, inspecting the scene. The child birthday celebration reminded her greatly of her own ill-fated tenth birthday, sixteen years ago. A moment of personal weakness she'd since played the hell out of her therapist. "I'd like to blow up their faces," she said, rubbing snot into her eyes. Bill regarded his cohort, his shady past glazed in contrite eyes. He always felt for her when the spirit of crushing childhood disappointment crept into their heist. A heaviness pushed down on Molly's shoulders, her exhale releasing dead memories into the unfortunate September air. Bill sighed, his partner's touch carrying with it the height and weight of desires crushed by December's lonely, betraying fire. "That's why I'm here," he said, the words barely audible but strangely carrying, the emotion low and heavy and batting heavily against assorted plastics. Molly leaned into Bill, her integrity wrapped in a heavy blanket. "I'm ready," she said. They moved far from the scene and away from the unfulfilled promises of trafficked balloons and Champagne Cliffhanger cocktail straws. Molly's fingers wrapped around Bill's hands, tight and reassuring. Some made amends with slow redemptions but Molly and Bill made amends by living hard and robbing everyone with enough money to be destroyed by a bit less of it. Theirs wasn't a full life, but they were half-brave and completely full of stolen dusty endings. When it was over, they would be driving the memories of tulips and the sweat of childhood's disappointments on to a freshly $.99 highway. "I can do this," Molly said. "I can hit America with both barrels." Their reasons were various and Lisa had taught her how to sneak past firewalls but they had been informed by adding up the blame and what they had lost forever. "Alright," Bill said, the words coming through gritted teeth. They called the client and the job was on like a spam filter, and they were on the way to work. [EDIT] Thank you for my first time ever comment gold, friend. It means a lot.