Pt 2 of them (continued ver)

Chapter 220

The next morning, as expected, Carter was the first to stir. His cries echoed softly through the baby monitor, pulling Malia from her light sleep. She glanced at the clock: 6:15 a.m. Not too bad. She quietly slipped out of bed, leaving Colby to catch a few more minutes of sleep.

In Carter's room, he was sitting up in his crib, rubbing his eyes and clutching his stuffed dinosaur. When he saw Malia, he reached out his arms. "Mommy," he mumbled, his voice still heavy with sleep.

"Good morning, sweet boy," Malia said, scooping him up. She pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead, her heart sinking a little when she felt how warm he was. He still had a slight fever. "Let's go get some milk, okay?"

Carter nodded, resting his head on her shoulder as she carried him downstairs. In the kitchen, she warmed up a bottle of milk, adding a pinch of cinnamon like Carter loved. While the bottle heated, Malia hummed softly, swaying gently to keep Carter calm.

As she fed him his bottle, Malia couldn't help but smile as he clung to her, his tiny hands gripping her shirt. "You're my little snuggle bug this morning," she whispered.

Carter looked up at her with big, tired eyes, his expression softening. "Love you, Mommy."

Malia's heart melted. "I love you too, Carter. So much."

By the time Colby woke up and joined them downstairs, Carter was a little more awake but still quiet. Colby, still shirtless and looking a bit groggy, walked into the kitchen with a grin. "Good morning, team," he said, leaning down to kiss Malia's cheek and ruffling Carter's hair.

"Morning, Daddy," Carter said softly, a small smile breaking through his sleepy demeanor.

"Feeling a little better?" Colby asked, crouching to Carter's level.

Carter shrugged, snuggling closer to Malia. "Kinda," he mumbled.

"Well, let's see if breakfast helps," Colby said, heading to the fridge. "How about eggs and toast today, buddy?"

Carter perked up slightly, nodding. "With ketchup?"

Colby laughed. "Always with ketchup."

As Colby cooked breakfast, Malia settled Carter at the table with his favorite dinosaur placemat and a cup of water. The other kids began to wake up one by one, trickling into the kitchen and filling the house with their usual chatter.

Liam arrived last, dragging his feet and clearly still groggy. He slumped into his chair and immediately reached for Carter's cup. "I want water too," he whined.

"Liam," Malia said firmly, placing a cup of water in front of him. "This one's yours."

Carter frowned, clutching his cup protectively. "Mine, Liam!" he snapped.

Colby quickly intervened, setting plates of food on the table. "All right, let's all eat and keep our hands to ourselves," he said, his tone calm but authoritative.

Breakfast went smoothly after that, with Colby and Malia working together to keep the kids entertained and focused. By the time the dishes were cleared, Carter was feeling a bit more energized, though his lingering fever kept him from running around too much.

"Looks like another quiet day for you, bud," Colby said, scooping Carter up and carrying him to the living room. "Let's find a good movie to watch."

As the day went on, Colby and Malia took turns keeping Carter entertained, snuggling him when he got tired and keeping an eye on his fever. By bedtime, Carter was calm and relaxed, falling asleep in Colby's arms without a fuss.

As Colby carried him upstairs, Malia followed close behind, whispering, "I think today went pretty well, all things considered."

Colby nodded, smiling down at Carter's sleeping face. "Yeah. He's a tough little guy."

They tucked Carter in together, staying for a moment to watch him sleep. Then, hand in hand, they headed to their own room, ready to recharge for whatever the next day might bring.