AN: Hi everybody! I decided to give people a little extra time to leave their reviews, considering I'm posting chapters pretty quickly. So here you go.
I really need to double check these various dates. They're getting confusing.
Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil, its characters, or any recognizable properties.
~6 months, 2 weeks = 26 weeks, Mid-Feburary
The next several weeks consisted of moving furniture back and forth from Chris' apartment to the new house, as well as buying new furniture to fill the surprisingly roomy townhouse. Most importantly to Jill, the baby's room was being set up. Jill wanted the walls to be white, so she and Chris compromised by letting him paint the crib, rocking chair, side table, and toy chest in a suitable, gender-neutral color. It took some deliberation, but the soon-to-be parents settled on a light shade of teal, the perfect mix of blue and green. Barry's wife, Kathy, had taken on the job of taking care of Jill while Chris and her husband painted the baby furniture in the garage. The older woman agreed to knit a blanket to go with the color scheme of the room, promising to send it as part of the Burtons' baby shower gift. This got Jill thinking; she hadn't planned for a baby shower, and there were some things did she still needed before the little one arrived.
"We should throw a baby shower," Jill mentioned to Chris later that evening as she brushed out her hair and prepared for bed.
Chris looked up from his book. "You want to throw a party?" he asked as Jill set the brush aside.
"Nothing huge," Jill said, leaning over Chris's side of the bed, "but definitely with close friends and living relatives."
Chris considered Jill's offer, watching her as she picked up the brush and returned to brushing her light brown locks. "Your hair's grown," he stated, taking notice of the change that came with the maternal glow that had developed with Jill's pregnancy.
Jill smiled. "I know," she replied brightly, "This baby is doing wonders for my hair. Maybe I should be pregnant more often."
"Down girl," Chris joked, slightly intimidated by his partner's increased libido over the past few weeks, "Let's take it one baby at a time for now."
Jill laughed, then suddenly hissed in pain and clutched at her legs. "Jill! Are you okay?" Chris asked.
"I'll be fine," Jill responded, "Leg cramps. They're supposed to be happening."
Chris stood and walked around to Jill's side. "Let's get you into bed," he coaxed, pulling down the covers and settling his fiancée inside, "How's the baby?"
Jill smiled up at Chris. "Baby's just fine," she replied, "The little one should be able to recognize our voices by now, at least, that's what the projected timeline says."
Chris smirked. "Does he or she have a personal preference yet?" he asked jokingly.
Jill decided to play along and smiled. "I think he or she likes me better right now, since he or she is in MY stomach!" she replied.
Chris laughed with mirth, a feeling he didn't realize he had been longing for until now as he crawled back into bed next to Jill. "In the meantime, we better start making a list of things we want to receive at the baby shower. Otherwise everybody is going to bring teddy bears and stuffed animals," he advised.
Jill laughed. "You can never have too many stuffed animals," she argued.
Chris picked up his novel and continued reading. "Yeah, but who's going to be stitching them up and washing them in the laundry after they get played with too hard?"
Jill chuckled as she snuggled up to the Redfield. "Touché," she remarked, "That's where you'd be wrong."
Chris raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?" he asked playfully.
The pregnant woman giggled. "I think it's about time you picked up some of the household chores, mister Redfield," She teased.
Chris chuckled nervously as Jill snuggled closer and fell asleep. The Redfield took this time to reach down and lightly rub Jill's stomach. "What in the world have I gotten myself into this time?" he said to himself softly, feeling his child move underneath Jill's skin in agreement. He or she hadn't even been born yet but had already developed a sense of sarcasm. Or maybe that was just Chris' nerves talking.