His name was Jim. Joyce really tried not to think about that. She tried not to think about how it fit him. Jim. Grande Jim with his bushy mustache and scruffy face and neat but unbothered clothes and muddy boots. She tried not to think about how 'Jim and Joyce' just went together so nicely. She tried not to think about how he somehow made her feel like a high school girl with a crush, wanting him to take her out back to smoke a cigarette behind the cafeteria.

"Oh my god stop it!" she muttered to herself.

"What?" Will asked, sitting at the kitchen table finishing his cereal.

"Nothing, sweetie," Joyce insisted. "You almost ready to go?"

Will was coming to the coffee shop with her today. She was picking up another shift and then taking him over to Dustin's house for the birthday party. Jonathan supposedly had an English paper to work on, so he was going to take advantage of the empty, quiet house to get working on it. But currently, he was still asleep.

This wasn't the first time Will had come with her to work, and it wouldn't be the last. During school breaks, he came almost every day. He brought his laptop or a book or his art materials and posted up at a table in the corner and kept himself out of the way and occupied. Joyce brought him juice and a muffin during her breaks. They'd eat lunch together if they were there all day.

But today was unlike those other times Will came to work with her. Because every day this week, Grande—Jim—had come in for his grande medium roast black coffee. Well, every day since Wednesday, since she learned his name. He came at the tail end of the morning rush when things were starting to calm down but there were still people lined up waiting. So other than saying hello and sharing a smile, they didn't get a chance to talk. She was busy working and he didn't wait around after he got his coffee.

And now it was Saturday and Joyce didn't know if he was going to come in or not, but it wouldn't be as busy today, so maybe they would talk. Only she couldn't really talk to the guy she had a crush on with her kid right there. Good god, she was losing her mind. She was a middle-aged mother of two for heaven's sake!

The regular low level of anxiety that always existed for Joyce had ramped up thanks to the mystery of Grande Jim. Jesus, she really needed to stop calling him that.

All things considered, though, it was nice having Will with her. He had his laptop and headphones, but he left them on the table and followed her around as she did her tasks to open the shop. He was always a curious, smart, caring kid. He showed an interest in almost everything, and Joyce's job was no exception. Some of her anxiety dissipated as she patiently explained everything she was doing from grinding the different beans for brewing the coffee to filling the pitchers of all the different milks. And by the time they actually opened and the first customer came in, Joyce was feeling a lot better.

Will got settled at his table and Joyce went about her work. She made lattes and macchiatos and cappuccinos and used every flavor and milk varietal anyone could imagine. That was the funny thing. For all that Joyce was just an over-the hill-barista, she actually liked her job. She liked making fancy coffee. It was way better than the shitty Walmart job she had when the boys were little. This suited her much better.

The door opened and Joyce looked up to greet the next customer. It was in fact two people. First a young girl came in with eyes wide and face in an awe-filled expression. And right behind her was Grande Jim.

Before Joyce could say anything, the girl excitedly cried out, "Will!"

Joyce's son looked away from his laptop with surprise and grinned. "El, hi! Hi, Hopper!"

Grande Jim raised a hand in vague greeting. "Hey there, Will." He allowed El to join Will at his table as the big man himself walked up to the counter.

It all clicked in Joyce's head. "You're Hopper!?"

He frowned. "Yeah, but who's asking?"

"I'm Joyce. Will's mom," she told him.

His eyes went very wide. They were blue and beautiful. Oh god dammit she was in trouble.

"So you're El's dad, and I was texting you the other day and neither one of us realized we've already met?"

"Yeah. Wow. So your name is Joyce?"

She furrowed her brow at him. "Yeah, it's on my…" Joyce patted the front of her barista apron and realized that her name tag was gone. "Oh. I um…huh, I guess I lost my name tag." This was the fourth one she's lost. The manager was going to hate her.

"Now I can call you by your name instead of just thinking of you as coffee woman."

"I've been calling you Grande and now Jim, but why does El call you Hopper?"

"That's my name. Jim Hopper. Everyone calls me Hop or Hopper. Wait, you've actually been calling me Grande?"

"Just in my head," she protested in embarrassment.

A smirk spread over his face, and she wanted to hate it but she really didn't. "You've been thinking about me?"

"Apparently you've been thinking about me if I'm your coffee woman," she countered.

"You are my coffee woman. And now you're my…now you're Joyce. And you can call me whatever you like."

"I think I'll call you Hopper, if that's what everyone else does. Even your daughter, it seems."

They both looked over to their kids, chatting away excitedly in the corner.

"Will said she's never been to school before?" Joyce asked curiously.

"Yeah, she's got a rough history. I was asked to foster her for a while, and I just couldn't let her go. So she's mine now. Adoption finalized a couple months ago. Took some time to get her enrolled in school and stuff. But she's doing good now, I think. Will's been a really good friend to her. That's a nice kid you've got there."

Joyce smiled proudly at the compliment. "He is," she agreed softly.

She realized suddenly that they'd been standing there talking for so long that a line had developed behind Hopper.

"Oh gosh, sorry, you want the usual?" she asked.

"Yeah, thanks. El and I are running errands today. Needed a little pick-me-up. I'm used to your coffee now," he said.

Joyce looked over to the kids again. "You know, I'm here till lunchtime, and Will might like the company. If you don't need El to go with you, she's welcome to stay here with Will till you finish what you need to do. Sometimes it's easier to get errands done if you don't have to worry about your kid," she said knowingly.

"Yeah, that'd be great. Probably won't be more than hour, that alright?" he asked.

"Works for me," Joyce answered.

Hopper paid and waited while she poured his coffee, and he thanked her for it. Joyce helped the next customer while Hopper went over to tell the kids that they could stay at the coffee shop until he got back. They were both happy about that.

When he left, Hopper gave a small salute to Joyce, and she smiled. She tried not to think about how her insides went all melty.