Apocalyptic World: Surviving with my husband and my cute little babies-Chapter 291: Brothers fighting for attention

Elena frowned when she heard Ethan call their son lazy. "You may be right that he sleeps longer, but my son is not lazy."

She rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed—but the moment her gaze fell on her youngest son, sleeping with his tiny hands raised, her mood softened instantly.

She reached out, her fingers brushing tenderly against his small forehead.

Memories of the day she had nearly lost him resurfaced, making her chest tighten. He had been so fragile back then—yet he endured and survived.

’My baby Max will surely grow strong,’ Elena thought.

Now, seeing him healthy, with pink cheeks, fine glossy hair, and a chubby little face, the heavy weight in her heart finally eased.

Noticing her displeasure, Ethan quickly tried to appease her.

"That’s not what I meant," he explained hurriedly. "I was just worried because he sleeps for such long periods, so I casually called him lazy."

Still, even if the baby showed a tendency toward laziness, Ethan was already making plans to correct it.

As a soldier, he was determined to raise his son to be active and strong.

A daily routine—movement, stimulation, and proper growth—was already forming in his mind, just as he had trained the children in the space.

Poor Baby Max. His father had already decided his future schedule.

Ethan then changed the topic.

"The babies will be a month old next week," he said thoughtfully. "What do you think we should do? We still haven’t formally introduced them to everyone."

Although their people had already visited their residence within the space to catch a glimpse of the infamous triplets, Ethan had deliberately held off on any formal introduction.

For he had been waiting for the moment Elena finally woke up—so they could name their sons together.

"Wait," Elena replied, suddenly realizing something. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Three weeks," Ethan replied.

Elena froze. She had thought it would take at most two weeks for her dormant ability to awaken.

Realizing it had taken longer than expected, guilt welled up in her heart. She had missed the first three weeks of her sons’ lives.

"Then let’s hold a small gathering," she said softly. "We’ll introduce the babies properly and thank everyone for taking care of them."

"I’ll listen to you," Ethan replied without hesitation.

He then sat beside her, letting her watch Finn, who was drinking his milk with intense focus.

Seeing him like that, Elena couldn’t resist. She gently teased him, kissing his tiny hands to steal his attention.

Finn frowned at first, clearly annoyed at being interrupted mid-meal. But the moment he realized it was his mother, his expression softened into a happy smile.

Torn between continuing to drink and enjoying her affection, he let out a small, confused little sound.

Both Elena and Ethan chuckled at the sight.

"The babies have been smiling a lot ever since they’ve been around you," Ethan said, clearly fascinated.

"It’s really different from how they usually react when other people try to make them laugh. Most of the time, they just stare, maybe smile a little—and that’s it."

Elena smiled faintly. "I don’t know... maybe they just like me. I carried them for almost eight months, after all. They’re probably more familiar with me. With enough time, I’m sure they’ll get used to other people too and slowly open up."

"Well, I hope so," Ethan replied, sounding a bit defeated.

Even with him, the babies rarely smiled—only the second seemed especially fond of him.

The two of them continued chatting softly, happily exchanging thoughts and observations as new parents, trying to understand their sons little by little.

Well, they were so absorbed in watching Baby Finn that neither of them noticed the youngest beginning to stir awake.

And the moment Baby Max opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was his mother teasing his older brother.

He stared at her in quiet curiosity, for her presence felt familiar to him.

So, he started to wave his tiny hands, trying to catch her attention, but both of his parents were too focused on Baby Finn to notice him.

Unable to hold back any longer, Max whimpered. Tears quickly welled up in his eyes, and a soft, pitiful cry slipped from his lips.

"Waaa..."

Elena turned immediately. Seeing her youngest crying so pitifully, her heart softened.

"Son, you’re finally awake," she said warmly as she lifted him into her arms.

"Don’t cry. Mommy’s here now. Look—Daddy’s here too along with your older brothers, Leo and Finn. Are you hungry? How about Mommy feed you?"

But Max barely spared the others a glance, completely unbothered.

His sea-green eyes shining as he watched his mother speak, as though the whole world revolved around just the two of them.

Seeing him like this, Elena—as usual—couldn’t resist. She planted gentle kisses on his chubby cheeks again and again until the baby finally let out a soft, happy sound.

"What a total charmer," she laughed softly. "Look, Daddy—Max has a combination of both our eyes."

She continued chatting to him, entertaining him with her voice alone, and Max listened intently, eyes fixed on her face, as though nothing else mattered.

"Wife, feed Max now, or he might fall asleep again without drinking his milk," Ethan said, interrupting them.

He was afraid of a repeat of what had happened before—when his youngest had suddenly shut down while his great-grandfather was entertaining him, not taking a single sip of milk at all.

When they tried to wake him afterward, the baby had cried as if accusing them of ruining his precious sleep.

Soon after, something strange happened within the space. A nearby tree suddenly withered, losing all its vitality, while other newly planted trees burst upward, growing wildly and fiercely.

When Elena heard his explanation, the first thought that crossed her mind was that her son’s ability might not be purely plant-based.

The realization made her uneasy. She began to worry about what abilities her triplets truly possessed.

"Son, it’s time for your meal now," she said softly, quickly feeding Max while kissing him whenever she could, as if she couldn’t get enough of him.

After two bottles were emptied, Elena thought about switching babies, wanting to lull Finn to sleep herself—just as she had done with her eldest.

"Ethan, let me have the second."

Understanding her intention, Ethan nodded and was about to hand Finn over. But just then, Max whimpered softly, clearly unwilling to leave his mother’s embrace.

At the same time, Finn—already so close to her—frowned when his father pulled him back.

Stalled by his younger brother’s sudden protest, Finn grew upset as well, for he wanted his mother too.

Soon, both brothers whimpered at the same time, each fighting for their place beside her.

"This..." Elena sighed helplessly. The two babies were locked in a silent standoff over her attention.

Seeing his wife in a dilemma, Ethan quickly made a decision. "Let’s put them both on the bed."

He refused to let Elena choose between them—he knew that doing so might spark rivalry, and if it went unchecked, it could cause problems later.

Elena nodded, and the two babies were placed side by side, still whimpering softly.

"Don’t cry," Ethan said firmly, playing the bad guy. "Your eldest brother, Leo, is sleeping peacefully. Don’t disturb him."

Elena immediately sat beside them. She fed Max while gently caressing Finn’s chubby little body, softly lulling him to sleep.

This way, both babies could feel her presence.

Still, Elena realized that she would need to set clear rules moving forward—otherwise, scenes like this standoff would happen again.