Pt 2 of them (continued ver)

Chapter 334

As Carter stirred in his sleep, he let out a small whimper, clutching his dinosaur plushie tighter. His face scrunched up slightly, as if he was about to cry, but Malia gently rubbed his back, soothing him before he fully woke up.

"Shh, sweetheart. It's okay," she whispered softly.

Colby watched the interaction with a warm smile. "He's so attached to that little dinosaur," he remarked.

"It's his comfort," Malia said, glancing at Colby. "It's like how Caitlyn can't sleep without her pink blanket or how Liam needs his stuffed lion when he's upset. They all have their little things."

Colby nodded. "Yeah, but Carter's attachment to that thing is next level. I'm pretty sure he'd pick it over me some days."

Malia laughed quietly. "You might be right."

Evening Routine

Later that evening, as the day wound down, Carter was feeling energetic again, running around the house with his sisters while Liam tried to grab his dinosaur toy every chance he got.

"Liam, leave Carter's toy alone!" Malia called from the kitchen, where she was helping Colleen with her homework.

"But I just want to see it!" Liam protested, running after Carter, who squealed and clutched the toy tighter.

"Carter, come here," Colby said, stepping into the living room. He scooped up the little boy before Liam could catch him. "This little guy's had enough excitement for one day."

Carter giggled in Colby's arms, though he quickly grew restless and started squirming. "Okay, okay," Colby said, putting him down gently. "Let's go get ready for bed."

Bedtime

The family's bedtime routine was always a bit of a production. While Caitlyn and Colleen were relatively independent, Liam needed constant reminders to brush his teeth and change into his pajamas. Carter, on the other hand, required a full team effort.

Malia ran a warm bath while Colby wrangled Carter into the bathroom, his blue eyes shining with mischief. "Come on, buddy," Colby said, trying to get him to sit still long enough to take off his clothes.

Once Carter was in the tub, he splashed around happily, nibbling on a soft rubber toy Malia handed him.

"He's still in his nibbling phase," Malia noted, watching as Carter chewed on the toy. "I think those teeth coming in are really bothering him."

"Probably," Colby agreed. "We'll pick up some teething gel tomorrow."

After his bath, Carter was dressed in dinosaur pajamas and settled into Colby's lap for his nightly bottle. His bright blue eyes slowly drooped as he drank, the day's energy finally catching up with him.

"You're my little champ," Colby murmured, brushing a hand over Carter's damp hair.

As Carter drifted off, Colby carried him to his crib, placing the dinosaur plushie beside him. Malia leaned against the doorway, watching.

"He's got such a big personality for such a little guy," she said softly.

Colby smiled. "He gets that from you."

Malia chuckled. "And those eyes—those are all you."

Together, they stood there for a moment, watching Carter sleep peacefully, his blue eyes closed but still leaving a lasting impression on both of them.