SWING MY WAY :: ORIGINAL

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JANUARY

"Jamaica, you didn't have to do this."

"And did. Because you wouldn't shut up about a damn stroller," the girl replied as Emmanuel put the big box in the back of his truck. Tiffany was about to cry, and Jamaica just rolled her eyes and pulled the pregnant girl into a hug.

Jamaica was doing fantastic. Granted, she wasn't at her best yet but she damn sure wasn't at her worst. She was getting better everyday, actually eating and gaining weight back, taking care of herself physically and mentally, and overall having a more positive attitude toward life. She was more than proud of herself for taking the initiative and controlling her own life without others doing it for her.

And she felt amazing, no longer weighed down or in the clouds like all those hard drugs made her feel. She just...felt so much better, like she was almost back to the way she was before the trauma.

Jamaica decided to see Tiffany off before she left to begin her second semester of grad school, but before that she took a look at their baby registry and decided to surprise them with a few of the more expensive items. Tiffany's face was priceless, thanking Jamaica too many times to count, almost like a reflex at this point.

"Thank you, girl," see? "this took so much weight off my shoulders," she watched Manny load a few more things Jamaica ordered into the truck. Overall, Jamaica bought Tiffany a crib, a stroller, a bassinet, some blankets, and enough diapers to last them for a few months; and that was so many diapers that it took over most of the backseat and she still had to send the rest to them at a later date.

"Oh, I also got you this breast pump," Jamaica said, going to the trunk of her car. Tiffany followed excitedly. She pulled the box out and Tiffany squealed. "You like?"

"This wasn't even on my list! Oh my God? It's the wearable one?"

"Mhm. You might have Dolly Parton titties walking around, but this produces more milk in a shorter time while you're on the go. So I thought it'd be good since you'll still be in school."

"Thank you so much, Jam," Tiffany put the box down and hugged her friend tightly. No one knew that such a friendship would come out of one intense car ride, but here they were, embracing and genuinely loving each other.

"I figured since my parents keep throwing money at me like that's my cure I'd do something with it," Jamaica joked.

"Jamaica," Tiffany refrained from laughing at that, but she knew it was true, "you're annoying."

"Ay, what else is coming with us, babe?" Emmanuel called out.

"Ummm. This!" she pointed to her new breast pump. He let out a small breath before marching over to both women and retrieving the box. "Thank you."

"Uh huh," he mumbled.

While Tiffany and Jamaica continued talking, a car pulled up right behind Jamaica's car. Aliya and Mekhi stepped out, Mekhi briefly greeting them both before helping Manny pack his truck.

"Hey, fools," Aliya greeted Tiffany and Jamaica with a bright smile.

Jamaica honestly, truly, had not spoken to Aliya at all this year—including Aliya's last semester of undergrad and first semester of grad school—until this very moment. Well, except for that one time at laser tag. It was odd, but Jamaica had distanced herself because of the way she tried manipulating Aliya beforehand and the fact that her being on drugs made her fall out and forget about a lot of people.