Like Stealing Candy Back From A Baby

A woman and two little boys come to the counter and I begin to ring them out. I’m making casual chit-chat with the woman when she looks down and gasps.

Customer: “No! Put that back!”

I see her take candy out of the youngest boy’s pocket and put it back on the shelf.

Customer: “Sorry, he’s a little thief, and he’s so sneaky about it you don’t usually notice until it’s too late.”

I laugh and look at the boy, who must be about three years old. He looks at me very seriously and I stop laughing. The woman pushes him back so he isn’t so close to the counter and we continue the transaction.

I watch the boy out of the corner of my eye and he, little by little, gets closer to the counter again. Once again, the woman catches him red-handed and takes the things from his pockets and apologizes. I can’t help but laugh as this is oddly adorable, especially since the boy is so serious in attitude.

She leaves after I ring her out and I start to tell my coworker what happened when the woman rushes back in the store. Flustered, she sets two lollipops on the counter. 

Customer: “He almost made off with these.”

Me: “Thank you for bringing them back!”