Molly held a crumpled napkin with a rough sketch, pointing wildly at it. "Okay, Bill, hear me out. We sneak in through the backyard, hide behind the bouncy castle—" Bill squinted. "The bouncy castle? You serious? That's where all the kids are bouncing around like caffeinated kangaroos." "Exactly! Perfect cover," Molly said, voice quickening. "They won't see us. We shimmy past the cupcake table, grab all the presents, then dash out the side gate. Easy peasy." Bill rubbed his chin. "And what about the piñata? That’s practically a neon sign telling everyone where the loot is." Molly twirled a strand of hair. "That’s the point. We distract the kids with a fake piñata, maybe bribe their teacher. Meanwhile, we go in through the garage." Bill chuckled. "Bribe the teacher? Molly, that’s desperate. We’re not exactly known for our charm." "I’ve got a plan," she grinned mischievously. "I'll dress up as a clown. Kids love clowns." Bill’s eyes widened. "You're joking. You want to be a clown?" "Why not? No one suspects the clown. Plus, I’ve got those big clown shoes. I’ll trip, make a scene. Keep everyone busy." Bill looked skeptical. "And the presents? Won't the noise give us away?" "Eh, we’ll be quick. Plus, I’ve got a tiny tutorial in clowning from YouTube. I can do a pretty decent honk." Bill sighed. "You’re crazy. But I like it. Okay, so I sneak in from the front, distract the parents by pretending I’m a lost kid—" "Good idea! Kids always fall for that." "—and then you go through the garage dressed as the clown?" "Exactly! That way, we don’t get caught sneaking around. No alarms, no fuss." Bill tapped his fingers together. "And the stash? How many presents are we talking?" Molly pulled out a tiny notebook. "Approximately fifty, maybe more. Mostly Barbies, action figures, a giant teddy bear." Bill whistled. "That’s a haul. Do you think they’ve got the TV stand with the Christmas flat screen? That would be epic." Molly giggled. "Forget the TV. We’re after the fun-sized basketball set, too." Bill nodded eagerly. "Alright. And after we grab ’em, what’s the escape plan?" Molly clasped her hands together. "We sprint to the backyard, dive into the van parked down the alley. I’ll be the clown—" "And I’ll be the kid lost inside," Bill added with a grin. "Perfect. We’ll call it 'Operation Birthday Bash.' No one will see us coming." Bill leaned in, eyes twinkling. "So, this is happening tonight?" Molly nodded. "Yep. We’re gonna make the heist of the century—kids’ presents edition." Bill paused, then chuckled. "I still think you should dress as a clown in a wig and face paint. Fully committed." She burst out laughing. "You got it, Bill. Let’s do this. Time to crash a birthday party."