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"Almost Paradise"

I faced the nights alone

Oh, how could I have known

That all my life I only needed you?

- Mike Reno

Against all odds, it felt like a normal night. Will was dressed up ready to go to his Snow Ball, and Joyce was teaching him to dance, noticing suddenly that he was nearly as tall as she was, and trying not to remember the last time she had danced in this house. Meanwhile, Jonathan, also dressed up and ready to go out, circled them with Bob's video camera, recording the moment. It was the kind of night Joyce had dreamed about having again—just the normal things, the kind of things other parents got to do with their kids, parents who didn't know there was such a thing as an Upside Down. Well, tonight she didn't, either.

"Hey, kid, how's it going in there?" Hopper called through the door. He'd been pacing for half an hour while Eleven got herself ready. The dress Joyce had picked out was cute. Not too fancy or flashy. And she had sent along some advice for Eleven on how to do her hair, as well, apologizing that she couldn't be here to help El get ready.

Hopper understood, and he could see El did, too, that Joyce was having a hard time letting go of Will, letting him get back to his everyday life. And who could blame her, after everything she'd been through this year and last year? He wanted to hold her, comfort her, tell her it was going to be okay. But how did he know? And it wasn't his right to do that, anyway. She still missed Bob deeply, he could tell. She probably would for a long time. Well, that was all right. Hopper could wait.

"Kid, you all right in there?"

The door swung open and she stood shyly in front of him. "I don't know. Am I ... all right?"

He smiled, pretending his eyes weren't stinging with tears. She looked pretty, was how she looked. Like a normal girl, but better, because she was always going to be special. "More than all right, kid." Hopper cleared his throat. "Now, we should get going or 'fashionably late' will turn into 'missed the boat'."

She frowned in confusion. "Boat? I thought it was in the gym."

"Sorry. It's an expression. I'll explain later. Come on!" He grabbed his keys and they left the cabin, feeling a little bit like truant schoolkids cutting class. Well, Hopper felt like that. Eleven didn't know how it felt to cut class since she'd never been to one. He looked forward to the day she could really go to school and have all the experiences of a real life.

They pulled up in front of the school. Hopper looked at El. "Do you want me to come in with you?"

She thought about that for a minute, then shook her head. "No. I'll be okay."

"Better than okay. Have a great time."

There was a flash of a smile before she climbed out of the car. Hopper waited to make sure she got inside all right, then found a parking spot. Across the lot, he saw a familiar figure standing alone, leaning against her car, and he walked over.

"Hey."

Joyce looked up at him. "Hey."

"Thought I might find you out here."

"Will wanted me to give him some space, so … I'm giving him a few feet." She tried to say it lightly, as though it wasn't taking everything she had to be this far away.

Hopper held out his package of cigarettes, tapping his finger on the top. "What do you say? I'm pretty sure that Mr. Cooper retired in the '70s, so …" He took out a cigarette, moving to lean against the car next to her. "It might be okay." He lit the cigarette, thinking of all the other times they had stood out here together, sharing a smoke.

He took a drag, and then Joyce took the cigarette from his fingers, smiling, looking younger already.

Joyce took a drag in her turn, making a face and frowning at him at the taste, coughing a little, but choosing not to rag him about his terrible taste in smokes. It was nice just to be here with him, standing together in the cold and the dark, with the faint strains of music coming from the gym.

At last Hopper asked, "How you holdin' up?"

She shook her head a little bit, not wanting to talk about it. "You know," she murmured.

"Yeah." After a moment he added, "That feeling never goes away. It is true what they say, you know." He studied the cigarette as if it held some kind of answers. "Every day it does get a little easier."

Joyce hoped he was right. She'd thought, when Lonnie left, that it had hurt, but that was nothing compared to this … emptiness inside her, dark and cold and lonely, missing the dreams she had begun to think were possible with Bob.

She took another drag from the cigarette, looking up at Hopper, not wanting to tell him how tired she was, how weary of worrying about Will and missing Bob and being cold and not believing it was really over. But he knew anyway. He'd always been good at that. He lifted his arm and she tucked herself in along his side, the warmth and strength of him so comforting and familiar.

Soon enough the dance would be over and Will would be home again and she could pretend nothing had ever happened, but for now she was going to stand here and let Hopper be strong for both of them. Just for now.