Babies.

We were sitting at the airport cafe, enjoying hot cocoa and the bustling activity around us. Like i always do when in a crowded area, I started 'people-watching', a habit i picked up from Mom. My friend, slowly sipping her drink, was probably doing the same thing, only with more subtlety than i could ever manage.

Then, it happened - A baby.

"Look at that. Isn't he the cutest thing? Ohh, and look at his tiny hands," i said, a little bit too excitedly than i usually allowed myself.

I couldn't help staring, almost gawking perhaps. He had big blue eyes, the beginning of soft blonde curls, and those cute dimpled hands only babies (and really fat people) have.

"Oh, he's soo cute, don't you agree?" I turned around to my friend, who was unusually quiet. That's when i realized she was staring at me, not the baby.

"What???!" I'm sure i checked myself out in the mirror before stepping out of the house today. It couldn't possibly be something i said, could it? My friend was wearing that knowing smile people have when they think they've solved the mystery of the universe.

"Oh nothing," she said in a tone that suggests it was anything but!

"C'mon, tell me! We both know you want to, so spill!"

She chuckled.

Oh no. That's a bad sign - her chuckling. She never does that. I could already see this was a prelude to something I'm gonna regret hearing for the rest of my natural life.

"You remember three years ago?"

"No," i answered almost too quickly, too defensively.

"You were squeamish around babies. You said you can't stand them, that they're slimy and they cry, they scream and they poop. You told me you'd only learn to love kids who are your own, if you ever decide to have any."

"I never said..."

"But nowadays," she cut me off mid-sentence. "Whenever you see small kids running around, you 'ooh' and you 'ahh'. You stare as you walk past babies in prams. You have that weird smile plastered on your face when see a daddy picking up his kid. You've changed Izyan. You really have."

"No i haven't." Denial. "And no, i don't ohh and ahh when i see babies." Still in denial.

"You're making stuff up. You obviously don't know me well enough."

My ego has decided to step into the picture.

"I'm allergic to miniature humans, you should know that!"

I was fumbling for the right things to say. And I was failing miserably.

"Ha ha ha. I'm jut stating the obvious. But then again, whatever rocks your boat Izyan," she said, suppressing a mocking smile.

I hate it when she sees right through me and makes no effort to hide it. It makes me feel vulnerable, and i hate feeling vulnerable. Just as much as i hate being wrong. But with all my amateurish debating experiences, this was one argument i couldn't win, seeing how i've been caught red-handed in the act.

"Well in any case," I said with more grandiosity than intended "I still think kids are slimy."

She just smiled.

Pfftt. At least i had the last say.