I was watching One Day at a Time’s second season and I realized two things about Lydia and Schneider. It’s always seemed like Berto’s death happened when Penelope was very young but that’s not true. In the flashback episode we see that Berto was alive and well by the time Elena was born which is only 14ish years before the pilot episode. Meaning that Lydia must’ve lost Berto sometime in between and was living alone in the apartment.
Secondly, in the finale we learn that Schneider went to rehab like five times before truly getting sober. He was only able to stay clean because Lydia came to visit him.
And I can only imagine how that visit came about.
Just imagine Lydia, sitting alone in her apartment. It’s so empty and quiet. The love of her life has died, her daughter has re-enlisted taking her husband and daughter with her. She’s lonely.
And one day she needs something fixed so she goes to talk to the landlord but he’s not there. All the tenants know about Schneider’s addiction and rehap. The gossip mill is strong and he’s not exactly private about it. This is the fifth time he’s been to rehab since Lydia moved in, but it’s also the first time she feels the need to actually check on him.
So she packs some food and goes down to the rehab.
She’s known Schneider for years now. She knows how big his personality can be and she expects nothing less when she gets there but she’s not prepared for what she sees. Rehab Schneider isn’t the same landlord that she knows. He’s quiet, and sad, and alone… just like she is.
She sees him and she sees herself.
She also sees exactly what she needs at that moment… someone to care for.
It becomes a weekly thing for the two of them. All through his rehab she keeps visiting, bringing him food, delivering gossip about the other tenants and Penelope. For a while there it’s the only thing besides church that gets her out of the house.
And at first Schneider has no idea what to make of this. He’s barely spoken to this woman before that day. And when he learns about Berto and how she lost him, he can only assume that the only reason she’s visiting is because she’s just that lonely.
Funny thing is… her visits help. Seeing this small, Cuban woman walk into this rehab center, bringing him food and promising cures helps him want to stay sober. It’s more than his father - or any of his stepmothers- have done during any of his stays. He grows to care for Lydia like the mother he never had.
And when he finally gets out of rehab, he makes himself a promise. He’ll stay sober this time. He has to. For her.
blakekathryn
andulkaphoto
tangentwithtanner
theartofmadeline
dailybridgerton
janainaart
