Judge, Jury, and Executioner - [Jopper]

08. The Aftermath

She was keeping hope. Painfully, but hope was hope. She wasn't sure what had changed things; the kiss, or the fact that they hashed out what was lying beneath the surface. She didn't really care to know the answer either. What she did know was that the last seven days, a week after his arrest, he seemed... different.

A good different. 

It was an oddly appealing feeling for someone who hated change as much as she did. Much like a scalding hot bath against frigid skin. A comfort that came with the pain of hoping it would remain just as good. Just as warm. 

Sitting around the dining room table the following morning, everyone diving into their breakfast, it was like being immersed in domestic bliss. Hard to believe it could even be real and not just a figment of her grief-stricken psyche. The sound of El spraying whipped cream on her Eggos, Will squeezing what was left of the maple syrup, and Hopper quietly laughing under his breath. God, it was a sound she never thought she'd hear. 

She forced herself to stand in the kitchen and just watch; just for a few moments. She needed something to soak up, something to fuel the hope she so desperately wanted to cling to. With her coffee mug in one hand and a cigarette in the other, she watched them be a family. 

But the real world didn't pause for her, and she soon had to return to society and do what she did best: her job. She wasn't complaining... well, only a little bit. She had started off by counting down the minutes until she could return, but then, just like that, she couldn't ever imagine stepping away from the sight in front of her. She had wanted to return to work so she could avoid the stress at home, but her home didn't feel like a battlefield for seven glorious days. 

He was smiling more. Spending more time with El and just being present. El was happier, she was happier, it was what they needed. She could still see the parts of him that were clammed up and shut off from everyone else, but she would take whatever she could get from him. Whatever he had to give, she was ready to open her arms to it. 

The moment she had stepped foot into the precinct, she already felt homesick. It was odd since usually, the only place she felt homesick for was the precinct itself. That didn't diminish the sense of happiness she still had for returning. Her job was never really a job to her. Not like Melvald's. She didn't drag her feet and dread going in every single day. Instead, she found true happiness in doing what she felt was right for herself. She had once dreamt of who she would be once she could conquer her anxiety, and now, she was becoming that person.