A/N: Hello! I hope everyone is recovered from volume two. As usual, I'm still in my mileven feels. This story will focus on different years through El's life where she learns about marriage/or experiences it in some way. El-centric. Duffers own everything, including my sanity.
1984
"Hopper, what does marry mean?"
Jim looked up from his newspaper, meeting El's intent gaze. "Mary?" He asked, not sure if he heard correctly.
"Yeah, Luke just asked Laura 'Will you marry me', then gave her a ring."
He was used to her extensive questions prompted by the soap operas she studiously watched. It made sense given that she was trying to figure out the world while stuck in isolation, and he was happy to help her do so. Most of the time.
"Well, marry, or marriage, it's something people do when they really love each other and want to spend their lives together."
He sees the twinkle in his daughter's eye and hurries to add further clarifications. "But only when those two people are adults and are mature enough and stable enough to do so. It's a big decision for people to make."
"And the ring?" she prompts.
"Well, you give each other rings to show that you're committed to one another."
"Committed?" she asks, puzzled.
"It's like a promise, to love that person forever."
"A promise" she repeats, and the grin on her face is wide. He sighs. Explaining marriage to his thirteen year old daughter was not something Hopper had planned for his morning. He takes a sip of his coffee and tries not to dwell on it.