The Mother In Me

My colleague emailed me the pictures of her 4-month-old infant wearing the baby dress P & I bought in Mumbai years ago. At that time P took me to a big complex of Mangga-Dua-like market in the down town selling mostly clothes. As P loved to spoil his nieces and nephews (I always adore this quality in him!), he wanted to buy them lots of clothes and asked me to pick the nice ones for them. While sorting out, I found some very cute I couldn't resist buying myself.

"I want some for my future kid too!" I told P as showing him a cute baby boy's top.

"Sure. Pick some for a boy and some for a girl," he replied, but looked puzzled, though.

Back to my colleague's baby. When first looking at the pictures, I didn't know whether to smile or cry, but then I ended up doing both - though I don't have any idea which one I did first!

Her baby was indeed really adorable in that pink dress with a strawberry picture on the chest.

She's the baby I never gave birth to. Maybe I'm never even gonna have the luxury of bragging to others about my own flesh and blood's every move. (You know those new parents my-baby-is-amazingly-cute-when-she-sleeps-or-my-baby-puts-her-favorite-stuffed-animal-to-her-mouth- and-would-only-let-it-go-when-I-swing-around-Mr-Sponge-Bob kinds of remarks!)

When I broke up with P, I gave all the baby clothes we bought to my colleague. (She was preparing her wedding at that time, so I think she would need them soon more than I did)

I still remember the last thing I said to him on the last day of being his so-called future wife: "You'll make a good father!" (I had seen him put his restless baby nephew to a peaceful sleep by holding him close to his chest ... and that was just so heartmelting!)