Eleven missed Hopper every moment of every day. Having his hat show up in her bedroom made her miss him infinitely more. She felt the absence of her father figure like a hole in her very soul. Having the hat, being able to touch it and feel him through the physical object helped. It didn't ease the ache she felt, but it made her feel closer to him even though she couldn't reach him where he was. Of course she couldn't reach him. he wasn't anywhere, anymore. There wasn't anything left to find, after...
She didn't want to think about that. She couldn't think about that. Tony had said he'd help her make Triple Threat Eggos. She'd invited Richie to join them. She probably should have asked Tony first if that was all right, but he'd only just arrived, none of his friends were in Goodland, or New Orleans since that's where they were now. She felt bad for him. And his post on the network reminded her of Hopper. So she invited him to join her and Tony for the Eggo treat.
Eggos were great because she could prepare them herself. They were already made, she just popped them in the toaster and when they were heated up, slapped them on a plate. She didn't have to deal with the oven or the stove. It was perfect, and then everyone could fancy them up the way they wanted. For her, it was just whipped cream and sprinkles, but there was butter and syrup and even ice cream, and a bowl of cut up fruit for toppings too.
"I'm really happy we're doing this," Eleven stated. She had Hopper's hat on her head. She wouldn't wear it long term. She'd put it up, keep it safe, just in case Hopper ever came to Goodland. But she wanted to wear it for a little while. It was a little too big for her, so she had to keep pushing it back away from her eyes, but she was too stubborn to take it off.