Joyce woke up because of a backache. She realized that she had her head on Hopper's shoulder and that he would also probably be in pain when he would wake up.

She smiled as she saw his slightly open lips moving as she stood up. Hopper immediately got into a more comfortable position and sank his head into the pillow, which made her laugh.

She decided to go into the kitchen to make breakfast. Including a coffee for the sleepy one on the couch.

She took out the packet of Eggos that she had bought earlier in the week knowing that she would soon see El.

Suddenly Joyce heard small steps behind her and turned her head to see Will and El enter the room.

"Slept well?"

Her son nodded his head while sitting down and judging by the pillow mark on El's face, she had slept well too.

"You?" He asked sitting next to El.

Joyce nodded her head and handed them a plate of waffles and a second plate of eggs while sitting facing them.

Hopper entered the room rubbing his face.

"Hey..." He said as he fell on the chair next to Joyce.

She thought his “good morning” was more of a grunt than anything else... but he wasn't in a very early morning mood.

She handed him the cup of coffee she had made on purpose earlier.

"Careful, it's hot."

"Oh thanks, you're the best."

"I know", she replied, laughing, which showed her dimples. Hopper smiled back at her as Will exchanged glances with El.

He brought the hot cup to his lips without breaking eye contact and winced.

"It's not good?" His daughter asked.

"Yeah it's good, but you'll learn that your father doesn't listen to me, so he’s just burned his tongue."

"Really? Is that true?"

"Umm yes and no."

"What do you mean?" His daughter asked while Joyce turned to him and frowned.

"I did burn my tongue, but this coffee is dis-gus-ting", he said, deliberately avoiding the look Joyce was giving him.

She looked outraged and stood up, which made El laugh.

"You'll make it yourself next time if mine is no good."

"But I'm joking..." He said, looking up to the sky before catching her and putting a kiss on her lips with a smile on his face.

"Ugh... gross", Will let go behind them.

"Well, I don’t think you're gonna think it’s gross when you fall in love", his mother laughed.

"I'm not gonna… fall in love."

"I used to think that too, and then your mother came in." Hopper winked back at him.

Will looked up at the sky and El had been smiling the same smile since the beginning of the discussion.

"Okay, I think you've earned another kiss."

Joyce gave him a quick kiss on the lips before leaving the room to go to the bathroom.

—♡—♡—♡—♡—♡—

Joyce and Hopper had managed to finish painting the entire room in the morning. The day had gone smoothly and they had already finished dinner.

Now they were at the end of a game of UNO with Will and El while Jonathan was watching TV.

It was El's turn to play, she had four cards left in her hand, Joyce had three. The boys both only had one.

Will had proposed earlier : 
"If El or I win the game, you owe us ice creams for a week!"

"Okay, but if your mom or I win, you both have to... do the dishes... for one week."

"Uh... okay..."

That's what motivated Joyce even more, she silently prayed for El to put a red card.

She looked at her four cards and shrugged her shoulders before putting down a red 2. 

Yes, Joyce thought with a smile. She looked up at Hopper who nodded his head, focused.  

So she put down a red change of direction so that Will wouldn't have a chance to put down his last card, which made him grumble.

So it was El's turn again and she looked her father in the eyes as if she was trying to guess the only card he had in his hands.

She put down a red 4 however, and Joyce looked at Hopper again with a smile on her face.

He smiled back at her as he stood up, dominating them from his waist down. Then he raised his card above his head and placed it in a theatrical gesture on the pile in the center of the table.

"Checkmate!", he said, clapping his hands.

El threw her last cards to the table in a gesture of rage, blowing and Will shook his head.

"Checkmate?" His daughter muttered, frowning.

"We won!" Joyce shouted as she walked towards Hopper, who immediately placed a hand in the small of her back.

"Yeah, and I know two people who are going to do the dishes", he said, pointing two fingers at the teenagers at the table.

"Yes, we get it..." Will sighed.

Jonathan, who wanted to watch TV but couldn't help but observe them from the beginning of the game, tried to hide his laughter when seeing the depressed faces of the two teenagers, which were perfectly at odds with those of the two adults looking at each other with silly smiles on their faces.

Just friends, his mother's words on Friday were resonating in his head as he watched her tiptoe up to reach Hopper's smiling lips. Either she had changed her mind very quickly or she had opened her eyes. And he thought this was just the beginning. The beginning of a start for a new future that he hoped would not be filled with monsters from another world.

—♡—♡—♡—♡—♡—

"And when were you going to tell us that you and Hopper were dating?" Jonathan exclaimed as soon as the two Hoppers left the house to go back home.

Joyce turned to him and looked serious.

"We're not... I mean... I was sure El had told you..."

"Yes, she told us." Will laughed back.

"Then what's the point?"

"The problem is that you told us you're "just friends" and a few days later you kiss each other in front of us. Even though I'm not that surprised because we were expecting it", he said, pointing to Will and himself.  

"But it happened last night! I just didn't have the time, that's all..."

"But El had time to know it..."

"She saw us... kissing... I didn't say anything. And if you want to talk about that, you didn't tell me about Nancy! And by the way, I don't think I have to justify myself to you." She said with a smile however, before leaving for the bathroom to put on her pajamas.