Chapter Text
September 2009
“Mom,” Sarah said in a singsong voice. “Can I please go to the movies with a friend tonight?” She was looking at El with those puppy dog eyes, her curls tucked into a long ponytail.
“What friend?” El asked. She noted that Sarah had chosen to ask this question when her father was not around. She’d been doing that a lot lately.
Sarah hesitated a little before answering, “Jason.”
“Is Jason’s mom okay with it?” El replied, going into mom mode.
“Yes, she’s driving us,” Sarah told her.
“Okay, but you have to be home by eleven, promise?” El looked at her daughter for confirmation. She didn’t have a problem with letting Sarah hang out with Jason. El and Jason’s mom were friendly enough that she felt comfortable sending Sarah with her.
“Promise,” Sarah said. The Wheeler family took promises very seriously. “But… can you not tell Dad?”
“Honey, he’s gonna notice that you’re not here,” El replied.
“I know, but maybe… don’t tell him that I’m going with Jason?” Sarah asked.
El was pretty sure that Sarah and Jason were something of an item now, even though Sarah would never admit it to her. She saw them holding hands the other day at school, and once she thought she might have saw a kiss between the two. It was adorable to watch, and it reminded her so much of the beginning of she and Mike’s relationship. After all, they’d been about the same age.
“Sarah, your dad is gonna have to deal with you hanging out with boys. Your grandpa didn’t like it very much when your dad and I first got together, but eventually he got used to,” El said. (She left out the part about it taking quite literally years for him to actually get used to it.)
“I guess so,” Sarah mumbled.
“But if it makes you feel better, I’ll tell him myself and I’ll wait until you’re already gone, okay?” El asked.
Sarah’s eyes lit up. “Thank you!” And she ran off to her bedroom saying something about calling Jason back.
El shook her head. Her baby girl was growing up. At least she still had a few years before she’d have to deal with this with James and Emma. Emma was only seven, the baby of the family. It would be a long while before she would start thinking about boys (or girls, that would be okay too).
Later that night, Sarah left with Jason and El was setting the table when Mike realized that something was up.
“Where’s Sarah?” Mike asked.
“She’s at the movies,” El answered.
“I can’t keep up with her social life anymore,” Mike shook his head.
“Actually, she’s on a date with that boy from her class, Jason,” El tried to say as casually as she could.
“What… uh, a… a date?” Mike sputtered, choking on his food.
“Don’t make a big deal out of it, Mike,” El said, hoping that he wouldn’t get too worked up.
“But… isn’t she a little young for that?” Mike tried to collect himself.
“She’s thirteen,” El said as if it were obvious that, yes, she was old enough.
“Yeah, exactly… that’s a little young,” Mike repeated.
“Mike, how old were we when you and I had our first kiss?” El asked, trying to prove her point.
Mike hesitated. “….twelve.”
“Eww,” James said. “I’m almost twelve.”
“Daddy, are you mad at Sarah?” Emma asked.
“No, sweetie, I’m not mad at Sarah. I’m not mad at anyone.”
“Good, because I don’t think that Sarah would kiss Jason because she knows that boys have cooties,” Emma said matter-of-factly.
Mike tried to act like Sarah having a kinda-sorta boyfriend didn’t bother him. But after two days, he really needed to vent. So, he decided to go see the one person who might be able to sympathize with him.
……..
“Well, well, well,” Hopper grinned, and took a sip of his beer. “How the tables have turned.”
Mike just glared back at him. “Please, just… tell me how you got through it.”
“There’s not really much to it, honestly Mike. As much as you hate the fact that your kid is growing up… it’s not gonna stop. She’s gonna keep growing up on you, and there’s nothing that you can do to stop it or slow it down,” Hopper told him.
“That’s reassuring,” Mike mumbled sarcastically.
“Hey, I get how you’re feeling. I once had a thirteen year old telekinetic daughter who was infatuated with a thirteen year old boy who I thought was no good. But you and I both know that I was wrong about that,” Hopper admitted. “El needed you in her life. And I shouldn’t have made it so hard on you two.”
“I understand your reaction now,” Mike said. “I didn’t before, but I understand why you were so protective of her.”
“Mike, here’s my advice to you… Imagine that that boy Sarah is hanging out with is as perfect for her as you are for El. If he is, you’ve saved yourself a lot of arguments. If he’s not, you have to trust that Sarah will be able to figure it out for herself…. She’s got two incredible parents who show her every day what true love looks like. She’ll be able to tell when she has it too.”
Later that night, when the Wheeler’s sat down for dinner, Mike told Sarah that she should invite Jason over tomorrow. Sarah smiled and agreed that it was a good idea.
It wouldn’t always be easy watching her grow up, or any of their kids for that matter. Sarah would have a few different boyfriends as she grew older, and Mike would do his best to keep his overprotectiveness at bay. He would slip up a few times, because he’s not perfect. But ten years from now, when Sarah’s boyfriend asks if he could have Mike’s blessing for Sarah’s hand in marriage, Mike doesn’t hesitate to say yes. Because he knows that Sarah had finally found the one, just like all those years ago when he and El had found each other.