'Til Sun Beams Find You [COMPLETED]

Fifty-eight (Part 3)

3 months later...

Nico sat in front of the coffee table in her living room, putting setting powder beneath her eyes. She thought it made her look a bit dry, so she made sure to spray her dewy setting spray over it once more.

Xavier was on the other side of the coffee table, standing up as he leaned against it, watching her. She had learned the art of multitasking lately as her baby was now on the move, always crawling everywhere, so she could no longer do her makeup in peace in her bedroom, sitting at her vanity.

Those days were long gone.

Now she did it in the kitchen, in the car, in the living room... really, wherever she was allowed, so long as she could see him.

He was always getting into places he shouldn't have been, and if she looked away for two seconds, he'd disappear and find himself doing something he wasn't supposed to.

"Mama!" He yelled, calling for her attention.

"Yes, baby.." she said, looking into the compact mirror in her hand as she brushed the powder away.

"Mama!!!"

She looked over at him to see he was showing her the ball in his hand.

"That's a ball," she said, returning to finishing off her makeup. "A blue ball. Do you like that ball? Is the blue ball your favorite ball?"

"Bababa," he babbled, putting the soft ball into his mouth as he shuffled around the table, using his weight against it.

"Close, baby. Ball. Baaaall," she sounded it out.

"Babababa.."

"You'll get the hang of it soon," she told him, smiling as she watched him try to walk as he rounded the table, his fingers clutching the edge as he shuffled.

Nala was at his feet, following his every step as a protective barrier to catch him, as she would sacrifice her body for him to fall on her. She had done it a couple of times, so protective over the baby, and it was the cutest thing, especially because she was so mean to Nico and Carter these days.

Stupid cat's heart could only allow one person at a time, and Nico felt a way about it... but Carter?

He was used to her disloyalty.

Xavier wasn't walking just yet. He had gotten the courage to lean off the couch a few days ago and took one step before crumbling.

Nico blamed herself, because she gasped loudly in excitement, but it scared him.

He hadn't tried walking since without support since.

Nico closed all the powders and put them back into her makeup bag before finding a lip liner to finish off her lips.

The sound of keys in the doorway made Xavier's head turn quickly towards the door before looking at his mother again, wondering if she heard the same thing.

Nico's eyes widened playfully. "Is that daddy??"

The front door opened and Carter walked in with a takeout paper bag in his hand for them to eat as dinner, even though it was way past dinner time.

It was 9:30.

"Dada!!" Xavier exclaimed when he saw him, falling to the floor so he could crawl to him.

Xavier was quick, and he reached Carter just as he shut and locked the door, using his leg as an anchor to lift himself up to stand.

"Hi baby," Nico spoke softly, knowing he was tired just by the way he dragged his feet into the door.