"What, they're not used to it by now?" Hopper asks with a grin. Beverly's not the sort to let anyone win just because they're friends and he has to figure she's beat both those boys at plenty of games.

He doesn't mind, though, if it's just the two of them. Sara never got to this age, but he had always loved taking her out on his own. Being with her and her alone meant they got to build up their relationship and he had wanted that, both for himself and for Diane. He'd thought it important they both have alone time with their daughter.

With Eleven it had been much of the same. They'd been alone together by necessity, but he'd still loved it.