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.

could suffocate the spirit if

the stress, they

open view, and soothing music softened the moods of

Rosie sat cracking sunflower seeds on the deck of the

not fans of such

noticing Jasper's furrowed

stared out at the sea. "I've got this feeling we're being

who'd lived two lives, wasn't to

horizon with binoculars but

"Our binoculars

the mutated Iran, Stella shivered. "You mean someone might be watching us from afar, and we just haven't spotted them?" Without evidence but trusting his gut, Jasper

people with limited resources, they couldn't ignore that others might have far superior gear. Ordinary folks might lack the means, but what about

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

Stella frowned slightly. "To see Rosie and me

I'm

they took a deep breath and the

away from that area,

No disturbances, for now.

a hundred nautical miles, they

the bottom

focus on, Stella shared

was referring

even amidst severe human

faced survival threats and dropped their national façades, it could lead to even greater catastrophes. The scarcer the resources, the fiercer

if you didn't provoke others, they

see the future, Stella comforted herself, "There's

thoughts lead to nighttime

of being besieged, the submarine breached and

hatch, struggling in vain to open it as cold seawater filled

jerked awake in

enveloped her.

she buried her face in his

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

it

after drinking

arm as a pillow, and eventually, her breathing evened