Two of a Kind

Sleepovers

About a month had passed and Will was finally able to convince his mom to let him stay over at his friend Mike's house. He missed his friends and was starting to feel stir crazy being stuck in the house while his mom and brother watched over him like hawks. She had just gotten off the phone with Mike's mom, having spoken to her for what must've been an hour about keeping her updated and making sure she checks on Will frequently. Will loved his mom and understood her worry, but Jonathan was out every weekend and he wanted some freedom too. He packed his backpack up and headed out.

"Bye mom! I'm leaving now!" Will yelled to her as he walked toward the door. She ran up behind him to give him another hug before he left. Her anxiety was practically dripping off of her.

She finally let her son go, and walked back to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of wine. She didn't know what to do with herself and needed a drink to calm her nerves so she could let her son get back to having a normal life.

Joyce had been so focused on spending time with her son since getting him back, she hadn't called Hop yet to set up that dinner. Feeling guilty and a bit lonely, she decided to pick up the phone and dial his number. When he answered after the first ring she was a little surprised, but glad to hear his husky, reassuring voice.

"Joyce, what's up?" Hop sounded happy to hear her, too.

"Hey, Hop. I just sent Will off into the world again and I'm freaking out. I don't think this is ever going to feel normal again after all that happened. I guess I just wanted to talk."

"Well, I'm not doing anything. Do you want me to stop by?" Hop asked, hopeful.

"Oh God, Hop, no, I don't want to inconvenience you. Really, I'll be fine." Joyce's cheeks got hot and she instantly felt embarrassed for calling him on his day off to talk about her anxiety over her son sleeping over at his friends house.

Hopper laughed into the receiver. Joyce was so cute. "Joyce, I just said I'm not busy. I'll be over in ten." And he hung up the phone.

Joyce hung hers up too, and a small grin crept onto her lips. She was secretly hoping he would come over. They had gotten close again since Will's disappearance, the only good thing to come out of that nightmare. Joyce was an independent woman, but she still got lonely sometimes. She didn't mind going to her coworkers "Girl's Nights" once a month, but it usually involved a lot of gossip that she didn't care about and activities she couldn't really afford.

After she finished off her first glass of wine and started to pour another, she heard a sudden knock at the door that made her jump and she spilled a bit of the Chianti on the counter. She quickly wiped it up with a towel and ran to the door, inviting Hop in with a hug.

"Care for a glass?" she asked as she closed the door and gestured over to the wine bottle sitting on the counter.

Hop shrugged and smiled as she poured him a glass nearly to the brim.

"Jesus, are you trying to kill me, woman?!" he chuckled as he took the large glass of wine. "Seriously, though, how are you doing? I haven't seen you since December." Hop tipped the glass back, savoring the oaky cherry taste on his tongue.

"Yeah... I'm sorry about that," Joyce said, looking down at the yellow kitchen tiles, embarrassed for not having reached out sooner to the man who saved her son. They sat down at the kitchen table, and Joyce felt even guiltier after remembering the last time they were joined in this spot, and how tired Hop had looked after a night of searching for Will.

"No no, Joyce. I wasn't trying to make you feel bad. I just missed you." Joyce looked up to Hopper's eyes, her eyebrows raised in curiosity. Was he flirting with her? She didn't mind. This was how they acted with each other. They were just old friends, though, and she was just happy to have his company.