Jailbird || Stranger Things

forty ➵ lemon sorbet

"All right, last stop, Henderson residence. Let's go, hustle," Teresa pulled up the handbrake, giving the boys in the backseat the all clear to get out of the car. The group piled out of the all terrain vehicle and rushed to the front door, El taking the key hanging from Reese's forefinger. "Call the pool if you need me, okay?!" she leaned through the front window, the kids all giving her some noncommittal sounds in answer that they would. "And Mike!" she added, the boy about to open the door before her voice made him turn. "Watch yourself, Wheeler," she tapped the side of her nose with a small grin.

    "Yeah, yeah!" he yelled back, rolling his eyes as Will smiled at the exchange.

    "You too, Sinclair!"

    Max shook her head with a scowl, trying to force the girl to leave, but Reese just shot her a wink before giving a small wave and driving off to Melvald's.

    She pulled into a parking space right in front of the store, pulling out the key from the ignition.

    As always the centre of town was deserted, much like the arcade was these days. Nothing new. Except for maybe the mall.

    "Hi sweetheart!"

    "Hey Joyce," Teresa grinned, lifting up her car to see Joyce setting up a step ladder. "Is my usual in stock?"

    "Absolutely," the woman smiled, stepping away from the ladder to the counter. Reaching behind, she picked up the large bag of lollipops, watching with amusement as Teresa's eyes lit up. "I'm starting to think you're addicted," the mother of two chuckled, ringing up the order.

    "Oh most definitely," Teresa nodded, pulling out the right amount of change. "I have an addictive personality, did dad not mention that?" she handed over the money and immediately picked up the bag without waiting for the change.

    "Not for this," Joyce smiled to herself. "Are you heading to work?"

    "Yeah, but I actually wanted to talk to you," Reese leaned her elbow on the large bag, the piled and confined lollipops holding her up. "El and Mike," she started.

    "What's wrong?"

    "I don't think Jim is gonna be good at handling it."

    "That would not surprise me," Joyce smiled gently, noticing the amount of worry in Teresa's features. "What's the worry?"

    "I have a feeling he's on his way here. I think he's gonna want help," the girl admitted. "When I got home yesterday he was doing this thing where he just grunts as an answer to any questions. The last time he did that was when Steve came over when I had a nightmare because El called him.

    "Okay," Joyce shrugged. "If he's on his way here, I can talk to him," she offered.

    "I just don't want him to break them up," Teresa rushed out. "I don't want him to get all protective and break them up. I feel guilty because he didn't get to do his protective dad routine with Billy, not in his own house and not while we were dating, so I think he's going to exaust El with it. She needs to be working out other things, and I don't want her to start rebelling. I don't want her to have a relationship with Jim like I had with Diane and Scott," she explained, the sudden reveal of information truly cementing the idea that Teresa saw Joyce as a mother figure in the older woman's mind. She felt herself slowly overcome with emotion, her chest warm at the knowledge.

    It had taken a while for the girl to be back to the little kid Joyce had helped to raise many years ago.

    "Sweetie," she sighed, walking around the counter to gently take the girl's arm. "You know what your dad is like. And you know I'm here for whatever you need. You don't have to ask," she smiled softly.