Run: 2026-04-24-01KQ0NF66GZ4DK4PJ0KCB6ZX68

Molly flattened the birthday invitation on the dashboard with a gloved finger. Through the windshield, balloons bobbed over the community hall like suspiciously cheerful security cameras. Bill, wearing a clown wig for reasons he refused to explain, squinted at the crayon map. “Side door by the bouncy castle,” Molly said. “Terrible idea,” Bill said. “Bouncy castles squeak.” “You squeak.” “I am aerodynamic.” “You are dressed like a haunted cupcake.” Bill checked his watch, which had a picture of a duck on it. “At two-fifteen, the magician starts. Children look left, adults film badly, we enter right.” “And the presents?” “Stacked by the cake table.” Molly nodded gravely. “We take only the loudest boxes.” “The loud ones?” “Drums, whistles, robot dogs. Public service.” Bill considered this. “So we’re villains with community values.” “Exactly.” Inside the hall, a chorus of tiny voices began singing happy birthday, each child choosing a different key. Molly winced. “That’s our cue,” she said. Bill lifted a sack labeled LAUNDRY. “If anyone asks, we’re entertainers.” “You know balloon animals?” “I know balloon snake.” “That’s just a balloon.” “It’s minimalism.” They slipped from the van, tiptoed across the grass, and collided with a goat in a party hat. Bill froze. “Plan B?” he whispered. Molly sighed. “Befriend the goat.”