A Normal Life | Chapter 1: A New Papa
Chapter Selection: -1-[2][3]
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She gazed down at the thick piece of paper as she held it in her hands. She still couldn’t believe what it said, or what it meant. Silent tears fell down her cheeks as she read the words to herself over and over again.
This certifies that according to the records of the State of Indiana
Was born in: HAWKINS, INDIANA on SEPTEMBER 19, 1971
Child of: TERESA IVES and JAMES HOPPER
Birthplace of Father: Birthplace of Mother:
“Hey, kid,” Hopper called, breaking her concentration. “Are you alright?”
She glanced up at him from across the dining table. Her beautiful brown doe eyes were red and watery. She smiled and nodded her head.
Hopper wasn’t convinced. She was crying, after all. “Yeah? You sure? Do you want to talk about it?”
She looked down at the paper again for a moment, and then back at Hopper. She wrinkled her nose before asking, “Does this mean you’re my new Papa?”
The words both stung Jim Hopper, and warmed his heart all at once. On the one hand, he didn’t want to be associated with that guy; the one who formerly called himself El’s “Papa”. After all he put her through? Twelve years of poking and prodding and experiments. Twelve years without human compassion or love. No, Jim Hopper was not her “new Papa”. Except he was, wasn’t he? He loved her. He loved this kid with every fiber in his being. And there was nothing he wouldn’t do to protect her, especially from people like “Papa.” And with that little piece of paper that she held in her hands, it was official; she was his, and he was hers.
He was taking too long to respond. What does that mean, El wondered to herself. Does he not want to be my Papa? Did I do something bad? Her expectant eyes had been staring at him, waiting for answers, but now she dropped them to the floor and began to frown.
“Yeah, I...I guess that’s what it means.”
El jumped up with a start and dropped her paper onto the table.
“REALLY?!?!” she squealed with heart eyes.
Before Hopper could respond, El’s arms were wrapped around him in the tightest embrace she’d ever given him. Her pretty dimpled smile was from one ear to the other. He hugged her back just as snug.
“Yes, I’m your new, uh...”Papa”... But kid, we’ve got to work on that name.”
El broke away from the hug and looked up at him with confusion.
“Well, yeah. A name. What you’re going to call me. I mean, your Papa was your Papa... Lots of bad memories where that came from, yeah?”
“So how about we call me something else?”
“Well, I don’t know. Whatever you like. You can always just call me Hopper. That’s what everyone else calls me.”
Eleven thought it over for a minute.
“No. I don’t want to call you that. My name is Hopper now, too. We need something better. You don’t want to be called Papa. What about Pop?”
“Yes. Joyce calls you Hop. So I’ll call you Pop.”
“Pop...” he said to himself, slightly flustered after hearing El mention Joyce. But after some contemplation, “I like it, kid. Pop it is.”
Eleven smiled, and then burrowed her eyebrows.
“But what about me?” she asked.
“What do you mean? What about you?”
“Yes. Birth Certificate.”
“It doesn’t say Eleven. It says Jane. Jane Hopper.”
“Oh, right.” Hopper picked up the birth certificate from the table. He looked it over for maybe the hundredth time, and then back at Eleven again. Or was she Jane? Shit. This was confusing for him, too.
“Well, what do you think? What do you want to be called?”
His daughter took a seat on the couch just a few feet away. She was deep in thought. 011 was never meant to be her name, and it never felt like one, either. At least not until Mike Wheeler came along.
Ah, Mike Wheeler. She believed he saved her life that night when he found her in the woods. She was cold, wet, and frightened. Her first memories of Mike were so.... warm. He gave her warm clothes, a warm place to sleep, warm food. He kept her safe from the bad men. And he gave her a name; El. Aside from that poor man called Benny at the diner, Mike was the first person to ever show her any basic human compassion. That meant a great deal to her and was something she’d never forget.
She knew her Mama called her Jane. But Mama was gone. Maybe not physically, but she was still just... gone. She did as Mama wished and found her sister, Kali. She introduced herself to Kali and her gang as Jane. Jane was bitchin’. Jane was cool. She was dark and mysterious. Punk rock. But was she really Jane? She walked away from Jane. She left Jane behind to come home. Home was Pop. Home was Mike. Home was... friends.
She snapped back to reality as Hopper joined her on the couch.
“Well, what’s it gonna be?”
“Yeah, kid. What are we gonna call you?”
“Well,” she began, “I guess, you can always call me, “hey kid”...”
She giggled, and Hopper grinned.
“But, Mike already gave me my name.”
Hopper raised his eyebrows, “Is that so?”
“Yes. Eleven was... just a number... before. But the first night I met Mike... he told me his name was Mike. Short for Michael. And he asked if he could call me El. Short for Eleven... I never knew my name was Jane. El was the first name someone gave me. It feels.... right.”
Hopper smiled and wrapped one arm around El’s shoulder before giving her a soft kiss on her forehead.
“Yes. It feels right, El. That’s your name.”
“I promise. I mean... your legal name is still gonna be Jane Hopper, but we can call you El. Short for Jane.”
El blushed, and both father and daughter laughed.
“So, that Wheeler boy... He gave you your name, eh?
Hopper groaned. He had to admit, Mike wasn’t a bad kid, but he just became El’s legal dad. TODAY. He wasn’t ready for boys.
“Okay, if Mike wants to give you a name, so be it. Just don’t be in any hurry to take his last name yet, okay?”
“What do you mean?” El was confused.
Hopper began to laugh uncontrollably. Of course El wouldn’t understand the concept of marriage yet. Baby steps, Jim, Baby steps.
“It’s nothing, just a dumb “dad joke”, that’s all.”
A little embarrassed at his own joke, Hopper continued to laugh, and even though El didn’t know what was so funny, his goofiness was contagious, and she began laughing, too.
She was glad he wasn’t her new Papa. No. No more. She had Pop, now. And she knew he’d never let Papa hurt her ever again.
