'Til Sun Beams Find You [COMPLETED]

Fifty-eight (Part 1)

Don't say I never did nothing for y'all 😓

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3 months later...

"I feel I've lost a step.."

Jada looked up from feeding Xavier his bottle, looking across the table to her best friend. "Why do you say that?"

"I don't know.. just.. don't feel like myself these days," Nico shrugged, pushing the salad on her plate around with her fork.

They were seated inside a restaurant not far from Jada's work as they were meeting her for lunch. Truthfully, she just wanted to see her baby Xavier, but she didn't mind Nico coming along too.

"Care to elaborate?" Jada asked, expertly holding the bottle with the same arm that held him as her other reached to take another bite of her turkey sandwich.

"Mm... I don't know," Nico shrugged. "Don't really like the way I look these days. My hair has been so dry, even though I haven't changed anything in my routine," she touched a strand on her head. "And it's shedding like crazy. I've tried everything. Mom's tried everything," Nico shook her head gently so she wouldn't cry.

She loved her hair, it was one her favorite features and she always made sure to take good care of it.

Now, she was doing everything and nothing was helping.

"Winter's coming. Maybe that's why it's been dry? Dry hair sheds. Let's go to the salon on Saturday."

"I think I need more than a salon. I'm gonna see a derm..."

Jada nodded with understanding eyes. "Okay..."

"And it's been hard losing the weight.."

She looked at her friend funny. "Nico... you're a stick."

She looked skinnier than before she was pregnant.

"I'm not. Not anymore. I don't have the same endurance either. I'm tapping out ten minutes into pilates. I don't know, Jada... it's been really hard..." she said, her eyes watering.

Jada frowned, watching Nico reach for a tissue to wipe her tears.

It'd been a while since she saw her, because Nico didn't like leaving the house much. She begged her for three whole days for her to come meet her for lunch, and Nico only agreed at the last minute, because she missed her friend, even though she had been pushing her away.

She had been pushing a lot of people away as she adjusted to her new life as a mom.

"What does Carter say?" Jada asked curiously.

Nico laughed through her tears. "You already know he's sooo supportive but I don't believe him when he says the things he says. I'm not as beautiful as I used to be."

"That's because you're more beautiful. You have a mom glow. Your figure is more shapely. You look incredible, Nic. Honestly? I don't see what you're talking about."

Jada's phone rang and she glanced at it to see her boyfriend calling.

"Hi baby... yeah, just at lunch with Nic and Zay," she cooed his name as she looked down at him, still enjoying his bottle. She adjusted the beanie on his head. "Oh... you're in the area?" Jada glanced across the table at Nico. "You wanna see the baby?"

Nico smiled softly.

"That's sweet, but it was supposed to just be a girls thing right now, baby," Jada explained, as they were catching up for the first time in weeks. "How about I ask Nic some other time? Mm... oh... you got him a gift too... okay.. okay well let me ask Nic..."