It almost felt like any other night. Everything was quiet and serene. Dogs barked occasionally in the neighborhood, the wind blew gently through the trees, and birds overhead chirped. Karen stood on her porch, looking up at the night sky and wondering if the end of the world would really be this peaceful. 

A cluster of bright specks in the sky caught her attention, and she eyed the new lights with a serene expression that didn't at all match the twisting terror bubbling up inside her. She fiddled with her phone, going back through her texts even though she had already triple checked to make sure she'd messaged everybody she wanted to. She breathed shakily, turning on her heel and going inside.

She paused in the living room of her small, modestly furnished home. Her wife Trish sat on the couch, watching some comedy movie Karen had seen a thousand times. Their cat lounged on the couch next to Trish, enjoying the occasional absent-minded pets. The sounds of the TV felt like they echoed all around the space, filling Karen's head with absent noise. She sat on the other side of the cat, staring at the screen.

"Work was quiet today." Trish eventually said. Karen nodded. The TV blared. The cat rolled over. "I didn't sell as much as usual, but I expected that when... you know." She knew.

"I led prayers this morning for anyone whose relatives didn't come to be with them." Karen responded. "We said our goodbyes and I helped them write letters to their families." It was just a formality when the postal service had stopped already, but it made the older members of the nursing home feel more at ease. Trish knew this, but she nodded like she thought those letters would ever arrive. The TV still blared. The cat yawned. 

A siren wailed somewhere, but nobody flinched. Both women glanced outside to find the neighborhood still appearing as peaceful as ever, with some people standing on their porches with their families and others closing their curtains as the lights in the sky grew more and more and brighter and brighter. The TV competed against the siren wails for only a moment before the sirens went quiet. They had been a formality at best anyways. Everybody already knew.

Karen stood up before she even realized she was doing so, and Trish glanced at her in surprise. Karen found herself turning and heading to the pantry.

"Well, I'm making tea." Karen spoke suddenly, acutely aware of the confused look she was getting. "Do you want some? I'd been saving this blend I got for a special occasion. It's called "berry field" and the salesman told me it's his favorite." Karen had always meant to get into drinking tea instead of coffee, even if Trish teased her about it. To Karen's surprise, Trish nodded.

"Yeah. That sounds nice." Trish eventually said. Karen nodded back. She walked over to the kettle and filled it with water, setting it on the burner to boil. She grabbed two teacups, trying to keep her hands from shaking as she put the teabags in them. The cat wandered over at some point to brush against and between Karen's legs while purring loudly. She picked the cat up, stroking its fur as steam finally vented from the kettle.

Karen sat back on the couch with the cat on her lap and Trish beside her. Both women held cups of tea that swirled a brighter and brighter red. The comedy movie was almost at the end, but despite their eyes being glued to it, neither of them paid much attention.

"Got my last message a bit ago. Has anybody texted you back?" Trish asked, her voice quiet.

"Almost everyone, just waiting on my father." Karen answered. "You know how he is."

"Yeah."

Both of them sipped their tea. The salesman had been right, it was a very nice blend. Karen thought that she should have tried it far sooner. 

Trish reached out and took one of Karen's hands in her own, a tiny smile on her face. Karen looked back slowly, ashamed of her wife's smile when the only things she had to offer were gathering tears. Their hands shook together.

Outside, the lights had grown enormous. The air filled with a steadily growing whine. The credits rolled on the TV. The cat breathed calmly, having fallen asleep. Karen and Trish leaned against each-other, their arms and lips locked.

The doomsday clock hit midnight.