It was early evening, around eight, when she knocked on his door. He was lacing up his sneakers, and so just blurted out something casual, asking her to come in. She came in, and they began to talk to each other a bit, but without really saying anything. An hour later, she left to go get some food and he opened his laptop computer up.

Scrolling social media feeds, he stopped on one post.

“End of the world?!” the headline read.

Rolling his eyes, he clicked on the article and began to read about artificial intelligence and the many changes it would bring. This idea, that AI would somehow bring doom to the human race, he thought, was a bit overbearing.

Not today, Satan, he thought to himself.

Soon, the door opened again and she was back, with some grub from a fast food joint down the road.

Munch, munch, munch. Slurp.

He got up to pee.

She stared at her phone while he was gone.

A few minutes later, he returned, hands still a little wet from what she could only assume must have been him washing them, and made the first meaningful comment of the evening.

“Justine, I think we should go have a drink. I have something I have to tell you.”

She nodded, smiling. It had been a long day.

They got into the car, drove it to the bar, and had a drink together.

When this ceremony was finished, he took a deep breath and took both of her hands from across the table.

“I think everything is falling apart,” he said.

Justine didn’t understand, the confusion telegraphed in her soft brown eyes.

She is beautiful, he thought.

“We spend all our time staring into these devices and meanwhile, things are really going to shit out there,” he gestured outside. “It’s hotter than ever, there are wars on, the economy is somehow both crashing and rocking it…” he trailed off.

“I see what you mean,” she replied, faster than he’d expected.

“You do?!” he exclaimed.

“Trevor, I do, I totally do… and there isn’t much we can do about it. I watched this video from the 1980s the other day and everyone was so much healthier. The temperature here in Austin was in the 80s during the summer on average, and I just couldn’t help wishing we could go back to that world.”

Trevor sat still for a moment, thinking about what she’d said.

“It’s not just communication, it’s everything. I feel it most when I stare at my phone, or, worse, when someone else does while we’re spending time together,” he ventured, carefully.

Justine nodded.

“But Trev… it is all out of our control. These changes to the planet, these devices that get in our way, it’s all out of our hands.”

Trevor nodded, now. He sat still for a moment, without saying anything.

Justine smiled at him again, and he just melted.

“Trev, I think we should have a baby. I know the world is a messed up place, but I think it will be better if we have a baby and raise it. And I’ve always dreamed of being a mother,” she finished with a brief sigh.

Trevor looked down, into his empty drink, which he was suddenly wishing had been full again.

“I know, sweetheart. And we’ve tried. But it hasn’t worked, and there’s no help. Maybe we’re better off just trying to have some fun together while we have time,” he cautiously attempted.

Justine’s demeanor changed instantly. Her eyes snapped into place, locking onto him. He loved her for that focus, that power, but being on the wrong side of it was a one-way ticket to his own personal hell.

“Justine, we’ve been together for five years, we’ve wanted a baby for two, and I just don’t have enough swimmers. It happens to a lot of guys these days, and nobody really knows why.”

“There you go, blaming the world for your problems again. I told you I want to have a baby and if you can’t help me with that, I guess I’ll have to find someone who can.”

The cool rage had awakened behind her eyes.

“Justine,” Trevor said, squeezing her hands. “I’m sorry. I've tried everything, we went to the doctors together, there was nothing they could do. We could adopt, or try IVF, but it's expensive,” he babbled, feeling her leave him before it happened.

"Goodbye, Trevor," she said, not angrily.

"Wait, Justine, don't go!" Trevor exclaimed as she got up to leave.

But it was no use. Justine turned and fled the bar, and Trevor never saw her again.