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.

lighting, and cramped space could suffocate the

stress,

freedom of Arcadia, the warmth of the sun, the open view, and soothing

seeds on

of such pastimes,

and noticing Jasper's furrowed brow,

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

officer's instinct, especially as someone who'd

the horizon with

reminded her, "Our

be watching us from afar, and we just haven't spotted them?" Without evidence but trusting his

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

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

frowned slightly. "To see Rosie

mused, "Maybe I'm just being

deep breath

submarine away from that area, with Rosie and

No disturbances, for now.

hundred nautical miles, they dropped

the bottom

she couldn't focus on, Stella shared her worry,

referring

amidst severe human conflicts, most

nations became mere "nations," if they faced survival threats and dropped their national façades, it could

provoke

to see the future, Stella comforted herself,

lead

breached and flooding, water

hatch, struggling in vain to

body jerked awake in the pitch

enveloped her. "Bad

breath, she buried her face in his chest,

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

the time, it

after drinking the water, tossing and

eventually, her breathing evened out to the rhythm of