18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 429

Jasper might have been clueless before, but after nine years with Stella, he'd picked up on everything he needed to know. Stella didn't hold back. "Yeah, your sister's all grown up."

Jasper paused, feeling a mix of happiness and a touch of melancholy.

"What's wrong?" Stella teased, tapping his chin playfully. "Not thrilled that Rosie's growing up?"

"Of course I'm happy. It's just... time flies, you know?"

Stella chuckled, "Feeling like an old dad who's going to walk his daughter down the aisle soon?"

Jasper opened his mouth, struggled for words, and finally admitted, "Yeah, and you're turning into an old mom, too."

But growing up was something to be celebrated. If their parents could see them from the beyond, they'd surely be comforted.

Raising a child in a post-apocalyptic world was no small feat, especially with Rosie turning out so well-most of the credit went to Stella. He wrapped his arms around Stella and kissed her. "Stella, thank you for all these tough years."

Feeling playful, Stella flirted back, "So, how do you plan to thank me?"

As their kisses deepened, he murmured, "My life for you."

Stella laughed, "What good is your life to me?"

He whispered in her ear, "What about my body, does that work?"

Stella playfully kicked him, "Be serious."

She went to deliver sanitary pads to Rosie and then turned to Jasper with a knowing look. "What are you waiting for? Clean up."

After five days in the submarine, Rosie's period had ended.

Blue Blue's relentless scratching finally paid off, clearing its body of barnacles over the past couple of days, and it hadn't reappeared since.

The silence of the deep sea was eerie, and the initial wonder at observing the marine life had turned to ennui. Not even the prettiest jellyfish or the strangest creatures could stir much excitement in the trio and their dog. Meals were eaten in silence, punctuated only by the clink of cutlery, chewing of food, and the sound of breathing.

Even Cooper's snoring had lost its charm, becoming a source of oppressive irritation.

Stella recognized the signs: deep-sea cabin fever was setting in.

space could suffocate

the stress,

freedom of Arcadia, the warmth of the sun, the open view, and soothing music softened the moods of the three humans

Rosie sat cracking sunflower seeds on the deck of

not fans of such pastimes, took turns patrolling the

noticing Jasper's furrowed brow, Stella asked,

"I've got this feeling we're

especially as someone who'd lived

horizon with binoculars but found

her, "Our binoculars aren't the

the strange ocean creatures and the mutated Iran, Stella shivered. "You mean someone might be watching us

that's what kept them comfortable. But as ordinary people with limited resources, they couldn't ignore that others

hundred countries, and despite the catastrophic disasters, the will to survive

slightly. "To see Rosie and me

I'm just being

than sorry, they took a deep breath and the submarine

the submarine away from that area, with Rosie

No disturbances, for now.

a hundred nautical miles,

fell, and the bottom of

the bedroom, flipping through a magazine she couldn't focus on, Stella shared her worry,

referring to human-caused

land submerged, even amidst severe human conflicts, most countries tried to

they faced survival threats and dropped their national façades, it could lead to even

didn't provoke others,

the future, Stella comforted herself,

lead to nighttime

breached and flooding,

was trapped under the hatch, struggling in vain to open it as cold seawater filled

jerked awake in the

enveloped her.

breath, she buried her face in his

on a light, patted her back gently, and handed her

time, it was

to sleep after drinking

pillow, and eventually, her breathing evened out to the rhythm of