EURYDICE WAS A HUNGRY YOUNG GIRL. She was hungry in the figurative sense of having had the early stages of life dictated by her parents and society's vision of what a woman's role should be. As a child, Eurydice Reid née Delaney would tell herself that she was lucky to not be hungry in the literal sense; her father made considerable wages as a lawyer while her mother wasted her life away doing the one thing a woman could do – ensuring that their white picket fence house in the Toledo suburbs remained spotless and critiquing her daughter for stepping a toe out of line. More than anything, Eurydice dreaded becoming a trophy wife like her mother before her, even though her parents advised her that it was in her best interest to marry a man who could provide for her.

        It was no surprise that her parents disapproved of Scott, the son of Jewish immigrants with no penny to his name. He can't support you the way you deserve, they insisted, don't come crying to us for financial support. But having been raised in a strict Christian household, Eurydice knew deep down that their disdain for him was really because of antisemitism. In the end, there was nothing Thomas and Marjorie Delaney could do to stop their daughter from marrying the man she loved, though they never accepted him as her husband. On the contrary, Scott's family was more than welcoming of her even with their contrasting religions, which they believed didn't make any difference. Not a day went by that Eurydice regretted her decision in choosing love over convenience.

        Her parents' rejection of Scott was one of three tribulations Eurydice faced throughout her lifetime. The second was Amara's diagnosis of autism. Naturally, Marjorie decried that none of this would've happened if you'd swallowed your pride and married the right man! and even went so far as to suggest that Amara be placed in an asylum before she brought further harm upon their family. Eurydice and Scott had outright refused, pledging to raise Amara the best they could. Eurydice's parents, Marjorie especially, were still bitter that their daughter had married a Jew, and found it easiest to blame Amara. Every tantrum, every school that threw her out, every headache she caused fed Marjorie's sentiment, blinding her to any progress her granddaughter made.

        These days, Marjorie rotted away in a house too big for her in the years since her husband died from leukemia. After a contentious family dinner in the summer of '84 that led to Amara crying in the bathroom, Eurydice screaming herself hoarse, and the Reid family driving back to Hawkins late at night rather than staying for a week as they had planned, Eurydice cut off contact with her mother for good. Marjorie had caught Amara's arm on the way out the door, apologizing for her insensitivity and stating that she only wanted the best for her, but instead of giving in Amara had responded, I know. I just figured you'd be more supportive of me, that's all. Eurydice pondered if Marjorie envied that her daughter was happier in her marriage than she had ever been in hers, but it was no excuse for everything she'd put their family through.

        The third tribulation Eurydice confronted was in the early hours of July 5, 1985, when she and Scott came to terms with the supernatural forces their children had been battling for years.

        It began with them cruising along Cornwallis, exhausted after a long flight back from New York and an hour and a half of driving back from Indianapolis – Eurydice now understood why Kevin had implored her and Scott to let him dorm for the past two years. She had consumed an extra cup of coffee so she wouldn't risk falling asleep behind the wheel while Scott, the lucky bastard that he was, had fallen asleep at some point. Making a mental note to have him drive the next time they were out late, Eurydice smiled to herself and made a point to reduce her speed a little.

        Eurydice treasured everything about their marriage and the family that came from it. Coffee over breakfast, late nights watching TV, arguments over laundry and taxes, stress that her children didn't know how much she and Scott loved them or that they were under the impression they needed to conform to a certain standard when love was meant to be unconditional. It was really an act of spite against Marjorie, who loved her for the grades she earned and the chores she performed, but then again Marjorie's mother had been the same, as had her mother before her. Eurydice had been the one to break the cycle of mothers in her lineage always expecting something from their children, and yet she fretted it was never enough.

        At long last their house came into view, and Eurydice released a sigh of relief that it looked no less different from a week ago. She had stewed over leaving Amara and Kevin alone for such a long period of time before ultimately deciding that they were responsible enough to look after themselves. But as soon as she pulled into the driveway and the front door light automatically switched on, her apprehension resurfaced upon noticing the absence of either of her kids' cars.

        "Scott," Eurydice prodded her husband awake with a nudge to his shoulder. He was a fairly light sleeper but it still took him time to fully wake. "Scott, wake up."

        "Oh, we're home," Scott yawned, brushing the sleep out of his eyes and failing to see what his wife was so frazzled about. "Looks like the kids didn't burn the house down after all."

        "Scott, their cars aren't here," Eurydice cut to the chase, jabbing a finger at the otherwise empty driveway. He followed her line of sight and just like that he seemed to become more alert. "I don't think they're home."

        "That's odd," Scott commented, searching through his mind for reasons why their children weren't home when it was close to 1 in the morning. "Maybe they're with friends for the night? Amara probably went home with Robin and Kevin... I don't know. Maybe he misses his girlfriend so much he went to Michigan – "

        "No, that isn't like them. They wouldn't be away the night we came back," Eurydice disputed, screwing her eyes shut. Call it motherly instinct, but she knew in her gut that something was wrong. "I don't have a good feeling about this."

        "Well, we have to start somewhere, okay?" Scott professed, placing a hand on Eurydice's shoulder and prompting her to face him. "Let's check around, and if we can't find the kids we can go to the station for help. They can't have gone that far."

        "Okay," Eurydice resolved. She was no stranger to the peculiar occurrences that had transpired in Hawkins over the years, from Will Byers getting lost in the woods to Barbara Holland dying from a chemical leak, and an irrational but poignant part of her wondered if something similar had happened to her children. But there was a higher chance that Amara was laughing with Robin over the melody of Stevie Nicks and Kevin was nestled into Ximena after almost two months apart. Just seeing Amara's Honda outside the Buckley residence would be enough for her to quit worrying.

        But her daughter's car was, in fact, not at her best friend's house. Nor was it at Steve's, or Dustin's, or any of Amara's friends they could think of. Eurydice was growing increasingly anxious for every driveway they pulled out of, and though Scott tried to remain calm for his wife's sake, he was beginning to worry as well. What could have possibly happened to Kevin and Amara while they were gone?

        It was only when they were poised to exit the Sinclairs' driveway in despair that hope arrived in the form of another car approaching. It just so happened to be the Sinclairs themselves, and Eurydice furrowed her eyebrows in perplexity. Between the absence of her kids and the appearance of the Sinclairs this late at night, there had to be a connection somewhere.

        "Hi, can we help you?" Mrs. Sinclair asked from the passenger seat. She didn't appear confrontational in the slightest, only confused as to why Eurydice and Scott were there. "Do I know you guys?"

        "We've met before. I'm Eurydice," the aforementioned woman clarified, stepping out of the car and into the pouring rain. She and Scott weren't super close with the parents of Amara's friends but were fairly acquainted with them through the dinner parties Karen Wheeler frequently hosted. "I'm Amara and Kevin's mom. Have you seen either of them recently?"

        "Yeah, they're at the mall," another voice piped up, this time Lucas. Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but he seemed somewhat shaken for a reason Eurydice couldn't quite decipher. But even after everything he'd witnessed that night, Lucas was beyond grateful to Amara for looking after Erica no matter how much his sister denied she needed supervision. "They're alright if that's what you're wondering."

        "There was a nasty fire there. Never seen anything like it," Mr. Sinclair elaborated. All at once the blood in Eurydice's veins froze and though Lucas had insisted that Amara and Kevin were safe, all she could think about was driving to them as quickly as possible. "Though why were you at the mall again, son? I thought you and your friends were going to the fair... "

        Eurydice had no chance to hear the rest of what Mr. Sinclair was saying to Lucas, for she had hopped back into the car with a fleeting 'thank you' and sped off as soon as she had a precise location of her kids. She didn't even question why Kevin and Amara were at the mall because when your loved ones are in danger, every logical thought flies out the window and you're too preoccupied with getting to them to wonder how they ended up where they were. Unlike Marjorie, who reprimanded Eurydice for being at a party on a school night when she phoned for a ride home after her car broke down, nothing would ever stop Eurydice from dropping everything to aid her kids should they need it.

        The mall parking lot was a watercolor bleed of neon light Eurydice knew had to be overstimulating Amara's senses. Maneuvering through the surplus of ambulances, fire trucks, and to her surprise, military members, she found that the kids huddled in shock blankets with haunted, ghostly countenances were the same individuals her daughter hung out with on a daily basis, from Dustin repeatedly pacing the parking lot to Max gripping the linen of her mother's shirt like it was her lifeline. The smoke still ascending from the mall painted the sky a diluted red and Eurydice had to remind herself that her kids were safe, that they hadn't perished from the flames. Even so, she reckoned that Scott's gentle grip on her elbow was the only thing keeping her upright.

        "I feel so stupid," Eurydice muttered to herself, eyes fixed on the pavement. "We shouldn't have left town this week, or even married on the 2nd of July to begin with. What the hell was my 21-year-old self even thinking – "

        "Look, there they are," Scott interrupted his wife's tirade, motioning at two figures perched on the edge of an ambulance. Lucas's confirmation that Amara and Kevin were safe, helpful as it was, had nothing on seeing them in person. Amara was the one to notice them, untangling herself from her brother and directing him to where their parents stood several feet away. Then the four of them were rushing to meet one another until they collided in a mess of aching limbs and hearts, holding onto each other until the broken pieces slotted together.

        "Oh, thank God," Eurydice wept, cradling both Kevin and Amara to her torso while Scott wrapped his arms around the three of them the best he could. The sky still glowed an unnatural color and the sirens still wailed but all of Hawkins could burn to ashes and Eurydice and Scott wouldn't care if it meant that their kids survived.

        And for a brief moment, everything was alright.

EURYDICE AND SCOTT HAD SO MANY QUESTIONS. Questions that could wait until Amara bid Steve goodbye after ensuring that he had a ride home, (his parents hadn't shown up as per usual, so Dustin's mom would be giving him a lift), until they dropped off Robin, who was in the same boat, at her house, until they arrived home, this time with Kevin and Amara in tow. The rain had subsided by now but none of them wasted a second to enter the sanctuary their house provided. It was indeed just as intact as a week ago, but this time it didn't bring Eurydice and Scott any solace when their kids had nearly died in a fire while they were gone.

        "Give your mother some space, okay?" Scott advised as they trooped into the living room, where Eurydice promptly sank onto the couch. "She's been through a lot tonight."

        "We're sorry for that," Kevin muttered, seating himself on one of the chairs adjacent to the sofa. The fact that their mother was traumatized enough from being under the impression that it was a mall fire he and Amara survived made them less inclined to agonize her further with the truth. If anything, they were grateful that their parents had chosen this week to go on vacation and avoid falling victim to the Mind Flayer.

        "No, I'm sorry," Eurydice admonished. Sorry for leaving her kids when they needed her the most, sorry for making them assume that their greatest value came from the jobs they worked, sorry for prioritizing a stupid anniversary trip when Hawkins had a documented history of tragic happenings. Sorry for being exactly like Marjorie no matter how hard she tried. "We shouldn't have left you two alone in the first place."

        "No, it's good that you guys were away this week. You could've – " Amara stopped herself at the last second, composing her thoughts before she could let slip the horrible reality of that night. There was nothing Eurydice and Scott could gain from it other than clarity, which was the last thing they needed right now. "You could've died just as much as either of us. We wouldn't be able to live with that."

        "Parents are meant to die before their children, sweetie," Eurydice sobbed, sweeping a hand beneath her waterline. She was too distraught to process the effect her words wielded. "If your father or I died you'd grieve us, no doubt, but you'd still be able to pick up the pieces. If we lost either of you it would absolutely destroy us."

        "Honey, let's get you to bed," Scott coaxed, but Eurydice remained rooted to the spot. "We're all alive, that's what matters."

        "That doesn't make it right, though!" Eurydice retorted, shocking everyone in the room with her vulnerability. Neither Kevin nor Amara had ever seen her like this, and it pained them to think of how she would've reacted if one or both of them hadn't made it out alive. "Your grandmother always told me I was too selfish for my own good, and look where it's gotten me – I leave you two alone for one week and you nearly die in a fire at the mall I wanted you – " she gestured at Amara, who was too stunned to speak " – to work at, I insisted you both work every day to the point where you felt you needed to work on a holiday while your father and I were gallivanting around New York. I'm no better than her."

        "You can't listen to what Grandma says, she's an old bat," Kevin insisted, reaching over to squeeze Eurydice's shoulder. None of them bothered hiding their opinion of Marjorie anymore now that they had cut her off from their lives. "If you really were as bad as her you would've listened to her when she said you should have 'Mara locked up."

        "That isn't a very high bar," Eurydice contended, though Kevin's phrasing of her mother elicited a weak laugh from her. It was only in their close proximity that she realized what he was clothed in; while she had been far too concerned with getting them all home to pay any thought to trivial things such as their garb, she became consumed by another wave of dread upon noticing the symbol emblazoned on the shoulder pads. "Kevin, what are you wearing?"

        Amara's breath caught in her throat when she saw what Eurydice had zeroed in on, and she rushed to diffuse the tension that had risen out of seemingly nowhere. "Oh, that? It's just some costume for the Fourth of July – Kevin and I thought it would be fun if we dressed for the occasion. That's why I'm wearing my work uniform, actually – "

        "Scott, get over here," Eurydice requested. She waved a hand in the direction of where he stood by the door but her eyes remained fixed on the uniform Kevin hadn't thought to change out of. Meanwhile, the aforementioned boy had become unusually pale. "That's... that's a Russian uniform."

        "A what?" Scott repeated in disbelief, making his way over to Kevin to see for himself. Outlets in Hawkins didn't just go around selling Russian uniforms, especially amid a period where even as McCarthyism no longer reigned supreme and the disaster that was the Vietnam War had been over for a decade, most Americans feared Communism to the point that they re-elected President Reagan in a landslide. But sure enough, the infamous hammer and sickle stared up at them. "Wait, is that why the military was there? Because of a terrorist threat?"

        "Yeah... you could say that," Kevin shrugged, idly wondering how he and Amara would be able to get around this one. The issue wasn't that Eurydice and Scott wouldn't believe them, but that it would only overwhelm them further and cause them to do something rash. He could picture it in his mind – them selling their house to whoever wanted to move to Hawkins after this, forsaking the only home Amara had ever known, shitty as it was. Amara had battled tremendous odds to get to where she was, and uprooting themselves when she needed her friends now more than ever was the most selfish thing any of them could do.

        "That doesn't explain why you're wearing one, though," Eurydice brought up, trying to sort through the questions buzzing around her head. Her best guess was that the Russians had set the mall on fire, but it still didn't add up. She thought back to every strange thing that occurred in Hawkins throughout the time they'd lived there, and as Amara did all too often with the most insignificant things she wondered if they were correlated. "Guys, what's really going on?"

        "Eurydice, this might not be a good time – "

        "You're not in trouble. We just want to make sure you guys aren't in danger," Eurydice insisted, gesturing for all of them to sit down once more. Amara and Kevin complied though they had no clue how to go about telling the truth. "If the Russians have invaded town we need to know, okay?"

        The five seconds that followed Eurydice's inquiry were the most tense Amara had ever experienced in her life, which was saying a lot. The matter had shifted from whether to conceal the supernatural world from Eurydice and Scott to how much of the truth she and Kevin should disclose. Telling them that the Russians had indeed invaded Hawkins wouldn't answer why they had chosen their town of all places, and while Amara had allowed herself to believe that Eleven's closing of the gate last November had put an end to everything, what was the use in keeping her trauma under wraps if she would almost certainly have to face the Upside Down a fourth time?

        "I think we need to tell them, Amara," Kevin decided, deliberately keeping his voice low. "We can't hide it from them forever."

        "Maybe we don't have to tell them everything," Amara suggested. "Knowing them they'll blame themselves. Or they might think we're crazy."

        "I didn't think you were crazy," Kevin reminded Amara, and she thought back to how reluctant she had been to tell him in the beginning, as well as Robin. But they had both believed her, and it had helped them to be prepared for when they got roped in. "They'll be just as confused if this happens again."

        "Okay," Amara whispered. She was always one to speak her mind even if she came across as blunt, and she conceded that Eurydice and Scott deserved to know the reality of Hawkins no matter how much it would unsettle them. Turning to face their parents again, Amara found that their bewilderment had increased tenfold; perhaps a proper explanation was actually what they needed rather than blissful ignorance, because they were anything but blissful right now.

        "Wait, what do you mean 'again?'" Eurydice panicked, her eyes wild. Evidently Kevin and Amara had failed to speak quietly enough for her to not overhear them. "You mean – this has happened before?"

        "Honey, let them talk," there Scott was again to keep her grounded. For all Eurydice's parents' qualms about him and his lack of money, he demonstrated every day why she had chosen him over any man who had enough coffers to make up for his infidelity. She complied, nodding at Kevin and Amara to divulge what had really occurred that night.

        "Okay... " Amara began slowly, struggling to maintain eye contact with her parents. Deeming it best to rip the plaster off, she stated, "The short answer is yes, the Russians have invaded Hawkins. And you're right that this isn't the first time this sort of thing has happened."

        Eurydice felt nauseous, and not even because enemies of the state were in their town. Their children had been caught in the crossfire, and not for the first time. How blind did she have to be that even now, she couldn't pinpoint the instances where whatever lie Amara or Kevin cooked up had been enough to fool her? How downright awful of a mother was she?

        "Basically this whole thing started two years ago when Will Byers disappeared. But he didn't actually get lost in the woods – "

        " – he'd been abducted to another world. It's a mirror image of Hawkins, only darker and covered in vines – "

        " – he was taken by this creature we call a Demogorgon. It also took Nancy's friend Barb, and several others. We were able to find Will but the Chief had to negotiate a deal with Hawkins lab to keep everything a secret – "

        " – Hawkins Lab had this project where they experimented on children with supernatural abilities. One of them opened a gate to the Upside Down – that's what we call the other dimension. She closed the gate last year and we thought this whole thing was over – "

        " – but the Russians found out about the gate at some point or another. They chose Hawkins because a gate had been opened here before, and they disguised their operation through the creation of the mall – "

        " – but by opening the gate they reawakened the Mind Flayer – it's this spiderlike creature hellbent on eradicating all life, and it used dozens of people to create a form in our world – "

        " – it wanted to kill Eleven – she's the girl with superpowers, by the way. We were able to close the gate again, but we had to hold off the Mind Flayer with fireworks. That's where the fire came from – "

        " – but yeah, that's basically what's been going on for the last few years," Kevin finished, concluding his and Amara's haphazard explanation. "We didn't mean for you to worry to death over us."

        It was undoubtedly a lot to process, and Amara and Kevin had barely scratched the tip of the iceberg. Scott's mouth was agape and Eurydice was reduced to speechlessness. She wished that she hadn't heard them correctly or that she was dreaming, but as far-fetched as their account was, it made sense overall. The unexpected disappearance and equally shocking return of Will Byers, Barbara Holland's death as a result of Hawkins Lab, the fact that all of Amara's friends were the same ones who had been involved alongside her, and the Russian uniform Kevin couldn't have acquired from just anywhere.

        Eurydice didn't feel any outrage at Kevin and Amara for lying to her and Scott for years, nor did she feel the urge to pack their bags and leave Hawkins in the dust. She didn't even know how she was supposed to feel. Stupid that she had chosen to move to Hawkins of all places? Angry that Hawkins Lab had gotten away with so much carnage until it finally faced accountability? Thankful that Amara and Kevin were still alive? Troubled that they wouldn't be so lucky the next time?

        Most of all, she felt such hatred toward herself for being so absentminded about the trauma her kids had undoubtedly accumulated. Maybe she would've heard Amara crying herself to sleep if she'd simply pressed her ear against the door, or realized ahead of time that her going to see Queen with Kevin was her cover for willingly endangering her life. Maybe she could've put a stop to it – but then she'd be responsible for the destruction of their world, wouldn't she?

        Marjorie would always be Eurydice's biggest bruise, but how was she any better?

        "God, I'm such a shitty mom," Eurydice choked out, burying her face in her hands. Like Amara had many times before, she was going down the rabbit hole. Perhaps it was hereditary, even though Eurydice didn't have autism. "How did I not see any of this? How much of a fool am I?"

        "Because we lied to you, that's why," Amara responded. She should've known better than to think that anything she said to Eurydice at this point wouldn't have any impact, but seeing her mother in this state did her impulsivity no justice. "And if you think you're a horrible person, I killed a Russian today."

        "Whoever it was, they probably have way more blood on their hands than you ever will," Scott justified, brushing Amara's arm comfortingly while keeping a firm hold on his inconsolable wife. She was still weeping, a rarity for someone who made a conscious effort to remain poised in front of everyone other than her husband. "You did good, kids. We're sorry we didn't realize earlier."

        "You're not going to have us move, are you?" Amara inquired nervously. "I mean... I'm okay with it if you think we'll be safer, but Hawkins is the closest to home I've ever had. I actually have friends now."

        "And a boyfriend," Kevin interjected, somehow managing to crack a smile now of all times.

        "Seriously, Kevin?" Amara hissed, blushing furiously. Her mind strayed to Steve and how he didn't even have parents fussing over him and nursing his wounds, only a deadbeat dad inundated in perfume that wasn't his wife's, and a mom passed out from alcoholism and heartache. It made her all the more grateful for her parents.

        "We don't plan on it, don't worry," Scott assured them. He had given up on trying to carry Eurydice to bed and instead opted for draping a blanket over her. "It's late – you guys should get some sleep. I'm here if either of you need me."

        Scott said "me" and not "us" because Eurydice needed him just as much as either Kevin or Amara would if they woke up gasping in the middle of the night, unable to shake everything they'd been through from their subconsciouses. Exhausted beyond belief, the Reid siblings bid their parents goodnight and made their way upstairs.

        Eurydice's sobs had ceased by now, though her breathing remained uneven. Scott hadn't left her side the entire time, prepared to fall asleep in the chair he was sitting in and wake up with his back aching. He was always there at the end of the tunnel, and Eurydice supposed she had the last laugh at Marjorie for choosing someone who loved her not just during the good times, someone who loved her for who she was and not how she looked hanging from his arm. Marrying him was one of the best things she'd ever done.

        Now that Eurydice thought about it, Marjorie wouldn't have noticed the truth any earlier than her. For a woman who despised anything that tarnished her and her family's image, in the event that she even learned of interdimensional entities in her backyard she would've pinned the blame on anyone other than herself, because that's what she had done all her life for everything. That had to mean that Eurydice was better than her.

        "Hey, Scott?" she whispered, inches from sleep.

        "Yeah?"

        "Thank you."

THE FIFTH OF JULY DAWNED BRIGHT AND CLEAR, but the atmosphere within the Reid household was anything but. Still reeling from the notion that Amara had spent the last two days trapped in a Russian bunker and Kevin had witnessed the death of an unexpected ally, Eurydice shut off the TV, the radio, and even dumped the daily newspaper into the garbage before she could internalize anything that diminished the monstrosities her beautiful children had experienced. Across town, families were waking up to learn of a horrific but fabricated affair Eurydice now knew the full extent of; maybe she was a coward, but she couldn't face that.

        Anticipating that Hawkins would be in a state of shock for at least a few days, Scott hadn't bothered going to the dealership. When Amara had told him about crashing her car to save her friends he immediately transferred the money he'd been reserving for a new car for himself and Eurydice to one for her, promising that she'd have a new one by the time her senior year commenced. As much as he knew that Amara would attempt to deny his offer he refused to back down. His daughter's life was worth more than a secondhand car.

        Kevin had four missed calls by the time he awoke, all of which were from his girlfriend. She'd seen the news (apparently word of the Starcourt fire wasn't limited to Hawkins or even Indiana) and was concerned for his safety, wishing to see him in person if he had time in his schedule. Agreeing to travel to Michigan in the coming days to Ximena's relief, Kevin hung up the phone and buried his head in his hands, wondering how on earth he was going to lie to her. It made him all the more worried that Murray's warning would come to pass and hiding the truth from her would indeed debilitate their relationship.

        Amara had the worst sleep of her life. She woke up at three in the morning in a cold sweat, having dreamt that she was back in the Russian base. But even though Scott had reassured her and Kevin that they had come to him should they need him, she had tossed and turned for another hour before falling back asleep, thankfully without nightmares this time. And it wasn't even because Eurydice was more overwrought than Amara had ever seen her – much like her autism, her parents could empathize with her the best they could but they hadn't been there. They hadn't been inches from death. They hadn't had to leave their friends behind. They hadn't killed someone, even if it was unintentional.

        Since waking up two hours ago, Amara hadn't left her room, not even to get breakfast. Still clothed in her star-patterned pajamas that matched the stickers on her ceiling, she wanted nothing more than to join them. Or at least see her friends, especially those who had been with her in the bunker. And yet she couldn't bring herself to leave her bed and dial Steve or Robin's numbers, which she knew by heart. She was stuck in a standstill, just like her family. Just like Kevin pacing his room, Scott going through their savings, and Eurydice sat at the kitchen table cradling a mug of coffee in her hands. All of them just waiting for nothing.

        Until the doorbell chimed.

        The closest to the door, Eurydice pushed herself upright and hastened there to slam the door on any reporter who dared record her thoughts about the mall fire for publicity. But upon prying the door open, she found herself face-to-face with the boy whose eyes had lingered on Amara as she departed from the line of fire, the boy she lit up from just talking about. Something in Eurydice sparked back to life.

        "Hey," she smiled softly, propping herself against the doorway. She hoped Steve wouldn't notice how red-rimmed her eyes still were. "Are you here for Amara?"

        "Uhh... yeah," Steve stammered out. He hadn't expected to meet Amara's parents only one day after they became... whatever they were. He definitely considered them more than friends now, but they hadn't had time to formalize things when they were busy throwing fireworks at the Mind Flayer. But if anything, he could appreciate how far he'd come from the jackass who had climbed through Nancy's window and tried to seduce her against her will.

        He hadn't had an easy night either. His father was nowhere to be found and he didn't need to check the living room to know that his mother had drunk herself to sleep again, because not even the end of the world could change who they were. Having woken up before the sun rose, he'd spent hours shooting hoops in his driveway in hopes of clearing his mind, but his trauma wasn't something he could rid himself of as simply as the swish of a basketball entering a net from his fingertips. And yeah, maybe he should've phoned Amara before journeying on foot to her house, but his mind was too messy for that. He needed her, and he had a feeling she needed someone too. Hopefully he would suffice.

        Eurydice made to inform Amara of Steve's presence but Kevin appeared by her side before she could, and just like his mother he brightened up at the prospect of being able to tease his sister. "Oh, hey man," he greeted, earning a nod from Steve in return. Not bothering to go fetch Amara, he hollered in the direction of the stairs, "Hey sis, your boyfriend's here!"

        "Kevin, stop tormenting your sister," Eurydice chastised, shooing him away. He did so, smirking in satisfaction; turning to face Steve again once Kevin exited the vicinity, Eurydice spoke, "Sorry for our lack of preparedness. It hasn't been an easy night for any of us."

        "It's okay, really," Steve said genially. Call him simple, but he didn't want the extravaganza of a fancy dinner where Amara's parents asked him more questions than he could handle. He just wanted to hold her in his arms and feel her heart beating against his own, a silent promise to him that she was alive. "I was the one who didn't give you guys a call."

        Crap, he was freaking out.

        "Amara and Kevin told me what really happened last night and everything before that. That's why I look like such a mess," Eurydice went on, and suddenly her awry hair and glassy eyes made more sense. This wasn't someone under the false impression that her kids had survived a fire, but someone who knew the full truth. It made Steve grateful that Amara now had her parents to confide in, even when his probably didn't know about the mall fire in the first place. "Just wondering, were you there too? For everything?"

        "Yeah, I was," Steve answered somberly, hanging his head low. "I actually owe Amara my life."

        At that moment Amara came bounding down the stairs, having rushed to get dressed after Kevin had the nerve to taunt her. It had been a while since Steve had seen her wear anything other than her Scoops uniform; she was attired in a striped tee and denim shorts, conker brown hair falling around her face in messy waves from how hastily she'd brushed it in an effort to look presentable. Steve thought she looked beautiful.

        "I'm sure you both relied on each other more than anyone should ever have to. And that counts for a lot," Eurydice reasoned, moving aside so Amara could pass through. "I'll leave you guys to it," she beamed, winking at Amara charmingly before disappearing back inside.

        "Mom!" Amara gasped, flustered, but Eurydice had already shut the door behind her before she could face whatever consequences her daughter could dream up. "I swear, the second the world isn't ending anymore they find some way to embarrass me... "

        It then dawned on her that Steve's BMW was nowhere in sight. Though the Mind Flayer hadn't damaged it, he still couldn't operate it given that the Russians had stolen the keys. "Did you walk all the way here?" she pondered, cocking her head inquisitively.

        "Yeah. It wasn't that bad," Steve replied, shrugging as though walking two miles from his house to hers was something he did every day. But then again, they'd probably walked more than that in the tunnel. "Besides, it's not like I can drive my car at the moment. The Russians forgot to give me back my keys when they took off."

        "I'll let my dad know you need new keys. He's already taking out money to get me a new car," Amara responded. Her face fell as she processed just how worn down Steve looked, and not just because of the bruises that still marred his face. Trauma has a way of making it appear like one is far older than they really are because it inflicts them with wisdom of just how cruel the world can be, wisdom they never asked for nor knew what to do with. She'd seen that same look in her eyes every time she glanced at the mirror since November 1983. "How'd you sleep?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

        "Not well," Steve answered, not bothering to hold back. He had an obligation to be as honest with Amara as he wished for her to be with him. Whatever they were now, he didn't want to ruin things by pretending everything was okay when he was positive that it never would be again. "What about you?"

        "You probably already know the answer," Amara attempted to crack a smile, but failed miserably. And just as Steve was right now, she allowed herself to be entirely vulnerable. There was something so raw about opening herself up completely after years of doing the opposite at all costs to avoid getting hurt, but Steve proved time and time again that with the right person, those fears evaporated into nothing. "I'm glad you're here, Steve."

        Amara only needed to cross a single stride to meet Steve, where she was promptly wrapped in his embrace. She wound her arms around his torso, bunching up the fabric of the Star Wars-themed shirt he'd undoubtedly received as a gift from Dustin, and he buried one hand in her tresses, the other splayed on her waist. They stood in her driveway, holding onto each other for reinforcement after so many years of shutting out the world for reasons that were different and yet so similar. They were exactly what the other needed.

        And for a moment, everything disappeared. The sirens wailing in the distance, the rush of cars leaving Hawkins for the final time, even the flash of Kevin's camera as he took pictures of them from his bedroom window, the little shit. She'd have to get back at him by replacing his cologne with pepper spray for when he saw Ximena, but she could do that another time.

        "Do you wanna see a movie or something?" Steve murmured, pulling away a fraction. "I hear Back to the Future's playing at the old theater on Main Street."

        "Like... a date?" Amara queried. It wasn't that she didn't want to go on a date with Steve when the idea made her very giddy, but what were the chances that the theater was even open today? And more importantly, how would they get there?

        "The theater's open if that's what you're wondering," Steve clarified, regretting asking the stupid question in the first place. Pretending that they were normal teenagers was what had doomed his last relationship, and here he was having learned nothing. Fuck, he was such an idiot. "But we don't have to if you don't want – "

        "No, I'd like to. I really would," Amara cut across his rambling, smiling brightly. Because watching a movie after they'd nearly lost their lives not for the first time didn't diminish what they'd been through. It was an act of self-care to partake in the pastimes they enjoyed because of everything they'd overcome. Because they deserved to hold on to the sliver of youth they still had after the Upside Down forced them to become adults. "But neither of us has a car. We'd have to walk all the way there."

        "Use ours. There's no reason why we'd need it today," Scott opened the door briefly to throw Amara the keys to his and Eurydice's Audi. "And if there are any aliens along the way, don't hesitate to crash it."

        "Thanks, Dad!" Amara beamed; he did so in return, journeying back inside. No matter how poor she considered herself at interpreting social cues, it didn't take a genius for her to understand that her parents already adored Steve. She hoped it accounted somewhat for the lack of his parents as stable individuals he could trust, even though she knew deep down that it never would.

        "Hey, Steve?" Amara spoke once they were cocooned within her parents' car, fingertips brushing against his own across the center console.

        "Yeah?"

        "Thank you."

published to quotev: 5/18/23
published to wattpad: 12/21/24