Title: Study Notes
Fandom: One Day at a Time (2017)
Rating: G
Length: 825 words
Content notes: set a couple of years before the start of the series.
Author notes: Americans, your school system confuses me... I think Elena and Alex are in middle school during the series? (Not that it actually matters to this fic). Also for the "comfort" square of my bingo card, and the "home" square of 100fandoms .
Summary: “WHO MOVED MY NOTES?!” Elena’s shriek can be clearly heard through the door, and Penelope sighs as she hurries to let herself in. So much for peace!

Penelope grins as she fishes her keys from her pocket. Home at last after a long day at work! Time to relax in peace and spend time with her lovely kids…

“WHO MOVED MY NOTES?!” Elena’s shriek can be clearly heard through the door, and Penelope sighs as she hurries to let herself in. So much for peace!

“We need the table for dinner! I moved them to the coffee table, but don’t worry, I was very careful,” Lydia says.

“Abuelita! How could you? I’ll never pass now!” Elena shouts, before running off in the direction of her room, ignoring her mother’s call of “Elena!”.

The two women look at each other, and Lydia throws her hands up. “Dios mio, what a fuss!”

“I’ll talk to her, Mami,” Penelope says, and goes to find her daughter.

Elena is face-down on her bed, looking such an epitome of teenage despair that it makes Penelope pause for a moment. When did her little girl grow up so much? Shaking herself back to the moment, Penelope gently pushes her until she can perch on the side of the bed, then says, “Elena, baby, talk to me. What’s wrong?”

“You know what’s wrong!” Elena replies, still face-down.

“No, I don’t think I do. So Abuelita moved your notes to the coffee table; it’s not the end of the world, your notes are still there, and we do need somewhere to eat.”

“You don’t understand!” Elena sits up to face her suddenly, her words getting faster and higher-pitched as she speaks. “I had them all perfectly organised and laid out - it’s a new study method I read about that’s supposed to be really helpful - and now they’re all in a mess again - ”

Penelope interrupts here, hoping to defuse the state Elena’s working herself into. “Okay, first of all, have you ever known your Abuelita make a mess of things when she’s tidying? I’m sure she can tell you exactly where each page went.”

That does seem to calm Elena down a little, but only for a moment. “That’s true… but still, there’s not enough space on the coffee table to lay them out again properly!”

“That’s my second point. I’m not sure a study method that means you have to take over the dinner table is going to work for us. And why are you so worried about this test that you’re reading about new study methods, anyway? You’ve always done well with your usual studying.”

“That was elementary school,” Elena says, looking baffled at her mother’s inability to understand the obvious. “This is my first test in middle school, and I really want to do well, and I only have two days left to study.”

Penelope pulls her into a hug. “So that’s it? Elena, you’ll do fine. You’re smart and you work hard. The worst thing you can do right now is work yourself into such a state you can’t study properly.”

“Great,” Elena replies, muffled against her mother’s shoulder. “Now I’m worried about being worried!”

Penelope laughs and squeezes her tighter, then lets go. “Come on, it’s time for dinner, I can smell pollo con ajo. And you need to apologise to Abuelita for yelling at her.”

Elena wrinkles her nose, but nods. “I know. I’m sorry.”

Penelope stands and pulls her up. “That’s all right, baby. After dinner, we’ll work out something for your notes, and I’ll quiz you if you like.”

“Really? Thanks, mom!” Elena hugs her again, then hurries off.

Penelope follows more slowly, pausing for a last look around the room. As she comforted her daughter, she’d also been doing some quick accounting and furniture rearranging in her head. Elena will need somewhere to work, and there’s toys she’s long outgrown (some of them literally, like the child’s play table) that could be moved to make space for a desk. She needs to do the accounts on paper, and it’ll probably have to be second-hand unless she can find a really good deal, but she’s sure she can manage something. She won’t tell Elena until after this test, though, she won’t appreciate the distraction! She marvels again at the realisation that her niña is now in middle school… it seems so little time since her first day at kindergarten, and at the same time as if Penelope might turn around and find she’s off to college. How long will she still want her Mami’s help?

Realising she’s been standing there for a good few minutes, Penelope heads back to the front room, where Elena and Lydia are now busy separating Elena’s notes back into sections - as she had guessed, Lydia moved them in their piles and knows precisely where she put each one - while Alex sets the table. Penelope smiles as she looks at her family. It may not be quite the peaceful, relaxing evening she’d envisioned - but Elena wants her help, Elena still needs her help, and that’s worth so much more.