the Accidental Thief...

I didn't mean to.

Grocery shopping this week included three bottles of
hand sanitizer. Or so I thought.

After paying for my purchases, I noticed a bottle of
the hand sanitizer, like the three I bought, sitting on
the little shelf  at the end of the conveyor belt.

I thought to myself , "hmmmm, either the bag boy forgot
to pack one or the cashier thought I might want one in my
purse." Right? It could happen. That's what they do when
I buy a Snickers bar.

I innocently picked up the bottle and put it in one of the many
grocery bags in my cart and pushed the cart outside to my car.
No alarms. No one chasing me.

Unload the grocery bags at home and I count FOUR bottles
of sanitizer, not three. I'm puzzled but not alarmed. I look at
the store receipt and count THREE sanitizers. 
I'm still puzzled but I finish putting away everything except
I leave the bottles on the kitchen counter.

A short time later, Carol came to me with a grin on her face
and one of the bottles in her hand. "Did you see what you took?"
On one side of the bottle, in big letters, was "STORE". 

Shit.

I was going to take it back yesterday, but the weather 
was crappy and I didn't feel like driving in wet snow the size 
of dinner plates. 
Besides, what would I say when I got there?
Would they just chalk it up to a senile old woman having a
brain fart?
Would they laugh out loud or have me arrested? 
I've never been arrested. Would prefer to keep it that way.

WWYD?

(what would ya'll do?)

innocent...

trust and love and hope
vulnerable to the pain
of disappointment