Pt 2 of them (continued ver)

Chapter 210

It started when Colby handed Carter his freshly prepared bottle, which had a colorful dinosaur design on it. Carter, who had been nibbling on everything in sight, immediately latched onto the bottle, his little hands gripping it tightly as he drank.

Liam, sitting nearby, noticed the new bottle. His eyes lit up with excitement. "DADDY!" he shouted, pointing at Carter's bottle. "I want one like that! It has dinosaurs!"

Colby sighed, already anticipating the battle brewing. "Liam, this is Carter's bottle. You don't need a bottle—you're a big boy."

"But I want it!" Liam whined, stomping his foot. He crossed his arms dramatically, shooting daggers at Carter, who was too busy with his drink to notice.

Malia intervened, crouching next to Liam. "Sweetie, you have your own cups with fun designs, remember? Carter's bottle is for babies, and you're not a baby."

Liam frowned, his bottom lip quivering. "But it's not fair! I like dinosaurs, too!"

Carter paused his drinking, sensing the tension. He gave Liam a wide-eyed look, clutching the bottle even tighter as if to say, You're not getting this.

"Liam, come here," Colby said, patting the couch next to him. "We'll get you a dinosaur cup next time, but this is Carter's. Let him have it."

"No!" Liam snapped, running over and grabbing at the bottle. Carter squealed in protest, his grip surprisingly strong for his age.

"Liam, that's enough!" Colby's voice was firm now as he gently separated the boys. Carter started fussing, the commotion upsetting him.

"You made him cry," Liam muttered, glaring at Colby.

"No, Liam. You made him cry," Colby replied, giving him a pointed look.

Malia stepped in, pulling Liam aside. "Liam, honey, if you keep acting this way, we'll have to take a break from playing. Do you want that?"

Liam sniffled, clearly torn between his love for dinosaurs and his desire to avoid more scolding. "Fine," he muttered, finally backing down.

Colby handed Carter back his bottle, soothing him. "There you go, buddy," he said softly. Carter settled quickly, happily drinking again.

As for Liam, Malia promised him they'd pick out a dinosaur-themed cup on their next outing. But for now, he sat pouting in the corner, still casting occasional longing glances at the coveted bottle in Carter's hands.