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 spirit if

stress, they

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

sat cracking sunflower seeds on

such pastimes,

noticing Jasper's furrowed brow, Stella

sea. "I've got this feeling we're being

as someone who'd lived two lives, wasn't to

scanned the horizon with binoculars but

"Our binoculars aren't the

us from afar, and we

and that's what kept them comfortable. But as ordinary people with limited resources, they couldn't ignore that others might have far superior gear. Ordinary folks might lack the means, but

and despite the catastrophic disasters, the

slightly. "To

I'm just being

sorry, they took a deep breath and the submarine descended

moved the submarine away from that area, with Rosie

No disturbances, for now.

traveling a hundred nautical miles,

bottom of the sea was

focus on, Stella shared her worry, "Do

referring to human-caused

the land submerged, even amidst severe human conflicts, most countries

their national

provoke

see the future, Stella comforted herself,

thoughts lead

breached

was trapped under the hatch, struggling in vain to open it

body jerked awake in the pitch

enveloped her. "Bad

breath, she buried her face in his chest,

a light, patted her back gently, and handed her a warm glass

the time, it

drinking

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