Pt 2 of them (continued ver)

Chapter 227

As the evening rolled around, Carter had moments of calm mixed with bursts of frustration. He woke up from his nap with a raspy cry, his face flushed and his little hands reaching out for comfort. Malia scooped him up immediately, pressing a kiss to his damp forehead. "Still warm," she murmured, glancing at Colby. "I think the fever's holding."

"Let's get him some more fluids," Colby said, already heading to the kitchen to refill Carter's bottle. Caitlyn and Colleen trailed after him, eager to help. "Can we pick the bottle, Daddy?" Caitlyn asked sweetly, pointing at the dinosaur-themed one.

"Sure, sweetheart," Colby said with a tired smile, handing her the bottle. "Just make sure it's clean."

Back in the living room, Malia rocked Carter gently, humming a lullaby. He alternated between chewing on his fingers and fussing, occasionally letting out a whimper. "It's okay, baby," she whispered, adjusting his position so he could snuggle closer. His head rested against her chest, and for a moment, he seemed content.

Liam, however, wasn't making things any easier. He sat on the floor nearby, loudly crashing his toy cars together. "Vroom, boom!" he shouted, glancing at Carter to see if he'd react. When Carter let out a frustrated cry, Liam smirked. "Why's he always crying?" Liam asked again, louder this time.

"Liam, enough," Malia said firmly, her voice carrying a note of warning. But Carter was already upset, his cries growing louder as he squirmed in her arms.

Colby returned with the bottle just in time. "What's going on here?" he asked, handing the warm milk to Malia. She carefully offered it to Carter, who eagerly grabbed it, chewing on the nipple before taking a few sips.

"Liam's pushing buttons again," Malia said, giving Colby a pointed look. "He needs to cool it before Carter gets any worse."

Colby knelt in front of Liam, his tone serious but calm. "Liam, I know you're bored, but today's not the day to test us or Carter. If you can't play quietly, you're going to your room."

"But I didn't do anything!" Liam whined, crossing his arms.

Colby raised an eyebrow. "This is your warning. Understood?"

Liam huffed but nodded, scooting farther away to play with his toys.

As the night wore on, Carter finally began to settle. After finishing his bottle, he lay curled up in Malia's lap, his eyes heavy with exhaustion. "He's finally relaxing," Malia said softly, stroking his hair.

"Good," Colby replied, sitting beside her and rubbing her back. "You've been a champ today."

"So have you," she said, giving him a tired smile.

Colleen and Caitlyn peeked into the room, whispering to each other before stepping inside. "We made Carter a get-well card," Caitlyn announced, holding up a colorful piece of paper covered in crayon drawings of dinosaurs.

"Thank you, girls," Malia said, smiling warmly. She showed it to Carter, who gave a small, tired smile before resting his head against her again.

As the household quieted for the night, Carter finally drifted off to sleep, his little hand clutching his teething ring. Despite the challenges of the day, Colby and Malia felt a sense of relief knowing they had done everything they could to comfort their little boy.