Run: 2026-03-18-01KM09H9PP5ATFD4CHSSSW05PQ

Molly crouched behind the balloon bouquet outside Mrs. Denton's playhouse, studying the security camera like a jealous hamster. Bill slid a toolbox from his coat, but it immediately belched glitter. “Bill, the guest of honor is cake—no, presents. Step softly.” Bill pointed at the motion sensor blinking beneath a sticker of a smiling dinosaur. Molly brushed her finger along the sticker’s edges; the plastic flexed, begging to be lifted like a cheap Band-Aid. “Relax, I brought the silent sneakers and your best distraction.” Inside, inflatable slides hummed and children’s laughter ricocheted through the walls, pure frosting. Molly lifted her earpiece and listened for the present ritual. At exactly seven, a clown would insist that everyone open the brave new boxes. The plan was to blend into the chaos, swap gift tags with decoy ribbons, and leave with a wagon full of stuffed unicorns and board games that smelled like batteries. Bill rehearsed his smile in the window: all teeth, no guilt. Molly adjusted her disguise—a librarian hat and an expression of innocent curiosity—and nodded toward the patio door. When it clicked, the party would never know what stole its thunder; it would only feel, briefly, that everyone had gotten taller.