Run: 2026-02-20-01KHY9PGH793Q540BH6EPX7EEX

The chipped Formica of the diner booth stuck to Molly’s elbows. She was sketching a diagram of a bouncy castle on a napkin, labeling key points: “Air intake? Weak spot? Potential exit route?” Bill slurped his coffee, leaving a questionable brown ring in the bottom of the mug. “You’re overthinking the bouncy castle, Mol. It’s air filled. You poke it, it deflates. Not exactly Fort Knox.” “It’s a *diversion*, Bill. A crucial diversion. Think of the chaos. Small humans screaming, parents flailing, all while we’re upstairs liberating a treasure trove of LEGOs and video games.” Molly tapped the napkin with a pen. “Operation: Birthday Bandit is a delicate operation.” “Delicate? We’re stealing gifts from kids, Mol. It’s… decidedly undelicate.” “It’s *re-allocating* resources, Bill. Those children have too much. Think of the deserving. Think of our rent.” Molly glared. “And frankly, young Timothy Henderson is getting a pony. A *pony*. That’s just showing off.” “A pony! Seriously?” Bill choked on his coffee, spraying a fine mist across the table. “Okay, that changes things. A pony is excessive. Alright, let’s hear your grand plan then. Detail the bouncy castle strategy.” “Right. So, I go in disguised as a clown. Standard.” “Oh, please. Last time you were a clown, you terrified a toddler into a week-long silence.” “That toddler had *judgment*. Anyway, I cause a minor, yet convincing, ‘balloon animal malfunction’ right near the castle. Creates a bottleneck. You, meanwhile, go through the back, scale the rose trellis – you remember the trellis, right?” “Rose trellis. Ouch. Vaguely. I still have thorns in places I didn’t know existed.” “Focus, Bill! You bypass the parents distracted by the balloon-based pandemonium, head upstairs, and scoop up the gifts. We meet at the getaway vehicle – Brenda, naturally.” “Brenda still hasn’t forgiven us for the pigeon incident.” “Brenda understands the *necessity* of strategic vehicle deployment. And the pigeon was a lucky break. It bought us a full ten seconds.” Molly folded the napkin, her expression serious. “The key is timing. The party’s peak chaos is right after the cake. Sugar rush, parental exhaustion, pure opportunism for us.” “What about security?” “Mrs. Henderson. She’s the security. And she’s busy judging everyone’s parenting skills. She won't notice a thing.” Molly grinned. “Also, I’ve been to enough of these things. There’s always an aunt Mildred off in a corner, guarding the gift table like it’s the crown jewels. We just… circumvent Aunt Mildred.” “Circumventing Aunt Mildred sounds…complex. She’s surprisingly agile for someone who exclusively wears floral prints.” “Agility doesn’t stand a chance against a well-executed distraction, Bill. And the pony. Let’s not forget the pony.”