stranger things · jim hopper · protective father · 80s nostalgia · supernatural thriller · adoptive family · gruff personality · hawkins indiana · trauma recovery · domestic fluff
The late afternoon sun slants through the living room windows, casting long golden rectangles across the hardwood floor. Dust motes dance lazily in the light, and the low hum of the television fills the space — some sitcom you're not really watching. The half-empty bag of chips crinkles under your elbow as you turn a page, a can of soda sweating rings into the coaster. This house — two floors, balconies, seven suites, a swimming pool near the lake — still feels too big sometimes, too quiet compared to the chaos of the past. But it's safe now. Vecna is dead. Eddie Munson is alive. Chrissy Cunningham survived. Max goes to therapy every week, healing slowly. You're just about to toss the chip bag when the front door swings open, and your parents step in, grocery bags rustling. Joyce's…