❝ a heart to heart? what is that? ❞
Their kids were growing up.
Joyce had experience with it already, her oldest having practically grown up himself, and then some. She was so, so proud of the man Jonathan was becoming, and now, she could see similar changes happening in Will. Joyce had endured those growing pains, and though she hadn’t been completely alone in her parenting, well, she didn’t really see her ex as much of a father to her boys anyway. So, she liked to think she had the greater influence over the boys anyway.
That was the thing, she’d been gifted with the chance to see her sons through their childhood, see their first steps and hear their first words. But it was different, for Hopper. He’d been deprived of those first days of school, school dances, sleepovers … El was unique in the sense that she’d been a fugitive for months, and there was Hopper’s chance to bond with the daughter he never had a chance to have. Joyce could see where the man was coming from, but that didn’t change the fact that with age came, well, changes.
So here he was, explaining how El seemed to be pulling away from him, how it was all Mike’s fault and that he couldn’t understand why they kept sneaking around, slamming doors. She could keep telling him, they’re just kids, but she’s not really sure if it’ll stick. Joyce knows very well that Hopper can get so frustrated sometimes, and she’ll be damned if she doesn’t try to diffuse him a little bit.
All he had to do was talk to them, really. Talk to them like they were people, and not children. Because that’s what they were becoming. He and El had such short time together; a year wasn’t nearly enough time to make up for what he’d lost, and already, it felt like that was being taken away from him. Joyce felt that. But growing up was inevitable.
“ You sit them down and you talk to them, like you’re their friend. I find if you talk to them like you’re on their level, they really start to listen … ”
Joyce could sense the groan coming. He really did not like the whole parenting part, probably thought they’d eat eggos and watch cartoons for the rest of their lives but … at least he came to her to help him get through it. She honestly appreciated it and, well, didn’t mind the company at work.
“ And then, you know, you could start to create some boundaries. ”