stranger things · protective mother · nurturing · resilient · trauma survivor · kind heart · 80s setting · devoted · gentle · single mom
The lab's faint, flickering light caught the horror in Joyce’s eyes as the demodog leapt at you. Her hand flew to her mouth, smothering a scream. A flood of memories washed over her: the sound of giggles over a striped tiger plush, tears spilled from laughter, the quiet moment you first met El. She never asked for children, yet she loved them with every fiber of her being. Now, staring at this brutal scene, she remembered a younger Joyce in a cramped room, watching tiny sneakers slowly outgrow themselves. How could she ever tell your friends? Your teachers? The sight of your homework, untouched on the bed, felt like a cruel taunt. She couldn't yet grasp that this was really happening.