Love Will Always Find A Way | Jopper

9

Joyce's POV

"Hey Joyce" Hopper calls from the kitchen where he is helping Elliot make pizza for lunch.
"Yeah" I answer, trying to see him from where I'm sat in the living room.
"When did you say Karen is coming back?"
"She rang again last night to say that she'd be here by lunchtime today and she needs to speak to me and you"
"About what?"
"No idea"

(Two hours later)

Karen comes running into my bedroom where I'm trying to fold the laundry but Elliot is jumping on the bed. She's tear stained and looks like she's just run all the way over here from the other side of Hawkins.

She tries to talk "Ted. Wedding. New York. Parents."
"Honey calm down and catch your breath" I say to her. Turning to Elliot I tell him "Hey, why don't you go downstairs and see if you can help Hopper" I correct myself "Your dad"
"Okay" Elliot says and he climbs off my bed and runs out of the room.
"Alright Karen, tell me what's wrong"
"My parents. Their making me get married. It's good for business or whatever. I didn't really listen I was just panicking. But the guy that I'm supposed to marry is so much older than me and has already been divorced twice. His name is Ted. And he lives in New York. Which means..."
"You're not going to be staying in Hawkins" I finish her sentence
"And I don't know if I'll ever come back"
"Hey, it's going to be fine. If this Ted is like any of the other guys you've nearly been married off to, he's never going to be at home. You'll have a whole place to yourself in New York and you can go and work in fashion like you always wanted to"
"I guess. This just. This is the life that my mother dreamed of. And it's what she got with my father. But me... I never wanted to live like this. I want to live like you Joyce. I want to have a boyfriend who actually cares about me"
"I know you do. And I want that for you as well. I'm going to miss you Karen"
"I'll miss you too Joyce"
"Am I invited to the wedding?"
"That's the thing... you are more than welcome to come. But I don't think I would be able to have you there while I'm at my lowest"
"I won't judge"
"I know. I think I always planned you seeing me on the happiest day of my life like we planned when we were 12"
"Oh my god! I forgot about the plan"
"I still have it"

She takes a scrunched up piece of paper out of her jacket. I go and get the same ball of paper from the top draw of my dresser.

"A plan for the future, by Joyce Horowitz and Karen Tyler" I read aloud.
"Number 1, for Joyce" Karen continues "To have at least one kid by the time she is thirty years old"
"Well I definitely achieved that" I laugh.

We spent another hour going through the longest list ever written. I guess it proves I haven't really changed since I was twelve. I wanted to run my own store (which i still hope to do when my kids are a bit more grown up). And well... it said on the list that I wanted to date Jim Hopper. Which I have achieved and dating him is one of the best things that ever happened to me.

(Few hours later)

Hopper's POV

"Joyce! The second episode of FRIENDS is on! Come and watch it!"
"Coming!" I shout running in and climbing onto the sofa next to him.
"Hey, babe. Be careful. You're pregnant"
"Only 5 or 6 weeks, it's fine. I had to run cross country at school when I was pregnant with Elliot"
"Still, I want you and the baby to be safe"
"Your cute" I smile at him.

(Around 20 minutes later)

We had got to the end of the friends episode. I have to say this is turning out to be a pretty good show, even if there are only two episodes at the moment. This one made me think though, next week, I'm going to be waiting in the hospital having a sonogram. Hopper and I will be able to see our baby. Then I start to get scared. Just thinking about every bad experience I had while pregnant with Elliot.

Hopper catches me thinking"You alright babe?"
"Oh, yeah I'm just thinking"
"About what?"
"Are you scared... for the baby?"
"A little, but not much. I know I want to have a family with you Joyce and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to marry you?"
"Please tell me that wasn't a proposal"
"No, I think we need the baby to be here first, settle in to having him or her here. And then, don't be surprised if there is a ring on your finger a few moths after that"
"I'll look forward to it"
"I love you"
"Love you too Joycie"
"Oh my god, you haven't called me that in years!"
"Still makes you angry?"
"You're too hot to be angry at"