CRUEL SUMMER {stranger things • lumax}

𝖘𝖜𝖊𝖊𝖙 𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒𝖘 𝖆𝖗𝖊 𝖒𝖆𝖉𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘

A week of nothing but improvement had passed, and Max would finally be discharged tomorrow. Joyce and Hopper offered her to stay with them, since he was already helping take care of the medical bills, but another miracle had happened during the last seven days, too.

The hospital had finally been able to get through to the emergency number listed for Sam Mayfield, Max's dad. And not only that, but with all the commotion in Hawkins, a rattled Susan Hargrove had bused her way to his place in California for refuge.

Max had been surprisingly understanding as she listened to her mom tearily explain everything over the phone. At this point, she was just glad to be alive. But for her parents to be back together again? That was a miracle. One strange miracle.

So when Max's parents walked into her room, hand in hand, she covered her mouth in shock.

Am I still dreaming?

"Max, baby, it's your mom and dad." Susan said thickly.

She rose up onto shaky legs and met her parents halfway, her dad scooping her into his arms.

"Daddy," she whispered, crying instantly into his shirt.

The party had been there also, plus the Sinclairs, Robin and Steve, and Joyce and Hop. Will had even made an appearance, carefully kneeling at Max's bedside while he still recovered from his own injuries.

The group wanted to celebrate Max's release with strawberry ice cream floats, her favorite. Erica had done up her hair this time, and Robin single-handedly blew up an impressive amount of balloons.

They couldn't have wished anything more for Max. Although there were still moments of pain and utter exhaustion as she regained her strength, Max was the toughest of them all, always had been.

But as Max shared a tender moment with her parents, everyone quietly filed out of the room to give them some privacy. Dustin lovingly clapped Lucas on the back, and Mrs. Sinclair gave Max's hand a squeeze, and telling her with a wink, "Love you sweetie."

Susan wrapped Max again into a tight hug, a thousand apologies tumbling from her mouth.

"Honey, we've been so worried. Oh Max, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry! I haven't been there for you." She was near hysterical with grief. "I haven't been a good mother! When you needed me the most I wasn't there. I wasn't there and I'm sorry baby."

Max wiped her eyes, looking downwards. Mr. Mayfield steadied Susan with a hand on her back, speaking up next.

"Max, as you know, your mother was in a bad way. She came to me for some help with money, fully intending to return to Hawkins right away, no funny business. But then everything happened and we just couldn't get through. It was all in the papers, gosh, it was all over national television!" He finished, the bizarreness of it all still sending shockwaves through him.

"Max, would you please look at us?"

She did, and took a deep breath in.

"Mom, Dad. I-I'm ok. It's ok now," she replied with a shrug. "I just don't really know what to say. It's... just been a lot to take in. Everything." She found herself smiling. "I mean, look at you guys."

"Us," her mom corrected. "Let's be a family again, Max."

~

Lucas came back in later. The two sat side by side on the end of the bed, kicking their legs back and forth and holding hands.

"How'd it go?" He asked curiously.

Max laughed. "Well, I mean, it's kinda crazy. My parents just show up, suddenly all in love again?" But she just smiled, no real anger coming through. It was like she could release a breath she'd been holding in forever but didn't know it. Like she could roll her shoulders back a little farther and hold her chin up a little higher.