Chapter Text
Epilogue
Mike returned home only briefly, just long enough to see his family and friends. They threw a small farewell dinner for him before he left. Naturally, the first question was where he was moving to. Mike smiled and said he’d be traveling for a while, that he’d eventually send them his new address. But of course, he never did.
Before leaving, he gathered his closest friends. Lucas, Dustin, Will, and Max met him at their usual coffee spot.
They were surprised to hear he was going. Until he told them about the far away land he had found, a small town to call home. Even though he never said more than necessary, Mike had a sense that somewhere deep down, they knew. That they still believed.
It didn’t take long for Mike to settle into that small town beyond the falls. The rhythm of life here was slower, and somehow exactly what he hadn’t known he’d been missing.
The apartment he found quickly became theirs, a place where El spent more time than she did at her own.
Dora welcomed him immediately, as though she had been waiting to take him in. There were countless dinners around that old wooden table. Dora watched El love someone fully for the first time, and she understood easily why she loved Mike.
Mike and El had adventures over the years, wandering through the countryside, exploring hidden trails, streams, and old forests. They explored each other too, the laughter and quiet moments they had missed for so long. Every day felt like making up for lost time.
Less than a year after their reunion, he proposed at the very spot where he had sat after his hike—the same place that had called to him not long before.
The wedding was small and intimate, held in a sunlit field of wildflowers. The scent of the blooms mingled with the warm summer air, bees humming lazily in the background. El wore a flowing dress, her hair loose and always catching the wind just right. There were no grand gestures or extravagance, only quiet vows spoken from the heart, promises that had been years in the making.
When they kissed to seal it, it felt like the first moment of a life that had finally caught up with them.
Time passed, and eventually, Dora died, leaving El the house. They made it completely their own. Mike learned the farm life far better than they expected, but also found his place in a small room with a window overlooking the barn. From there, he could watch El care for the animals while he wrote, the perfect balance of their two worlds.
Years later, El gave birth to their daughter. She had her mother’s eyes and his hair, a perfect blend that made him catch his breath. Holding her, Mike knew without question that he would have given up everything all over again just for this.
When their daughter turned three, El came to Mike with an envelope in hand, a photo of their daughter tucked inside, and a request. She wanted him to do what he did best: write.
So, he did.
Dear Hopper,
This is Sara Kali Wheeler, my daughter.
She is three. She has the brightest, most curious brown eyes, doesn’t she? She laughs in a way that stops you in your tracks, full of wonder and light. I wish you could hear it.
She loves animals and insists on letting all four cats sleep in her bed every night. Crafts are her favorite thing, and she proudly shows off every scribble. Music makes her dance, her rain boots pounding the floor as her dress twirls around. It’s adorable, really.
Oh, and she loves waffles. The funny thing is she prefers the frozen ones from the box.
She has a little magic about her. She’s so special, so full of joy. Just like her mother.
We tell her stories about you and the others. She listens carefully, wide-eyed, as we draw her pictures, even though I’m not nearly as good at it as her Uncle Will.
She asks endless questions about you, and the others. I can see her imagination running wild.
Even though she has not met you, she knows you. Loves you, as her mother does.
I heard you have fallen ill, so I hope this letter brings you peace. That it reminds you that she carries all of your love in her, every single day. That she is okay.
With all our love,
The Wheelers