Molly flashed a fake smile, her eyes gleaming with excitement as she handed Bill the blueprint of the party. The children's music drifted from the living room, a kid-apt selection of air guitars and crashing cymbals that made Bill's stomach turn. "Alright, so the plan's set," Bill said, squinting at the map. "Looks like we've got all the addresses squared away," Molly replied, her hands moving with a practiced air of calm as she worked to hide the look of nervousness that had been creeping over her. "Too easy," Bill agreed, tucking the map into his pocket. "We've got a hundred kids waiting downstairs. Nothing's gonna stop us." Molly snorted. "Sounds like a recipe for disaster to them. What if they have guards?" Bill shrugged, a nonchalant expression still plastered on his face. "Those kids know the schedule, Molly. We'll charm them into letting us in. I'm sure our fake IDs will fool the parents." Molly raised an eyebrow, her grin unwavering. "You still think that's going to work? They'll have some kind of fairy godmother or something?" Bill gave her a wry smile. "A lot of things, Molly. We've been over this a million times. We've got a plan, and it involves one or two little tricks with the mom." Molly snorted again, but Bill didn't push the issue. Not yet. They'd come up with a new plan, something more elaborate, if just to keep the dad-bro from raising the stakes. The one who was going to make sure the party wasn't finished yet. Molly glanced around nervously, the sound of laughter from the party drifting back into the hallway. "Okay, okay, you can go back in. I'll wait here." "Right behind you," Bill said, falling in step beside her. As they crept up the stairs, their fingers brushed against each other, sending a jolt of electricity through Molly. She pulled back, trying to look nonchalant, forcing herself not to stare. But her eyes were fixed on Bill's, wondering why, just how close they'd been. She shook her head, dropping back into stride. And then the screen door flew open behind her, and the sound of kids' laughter, music, and conversation swallowed her whole.