Lizzy and Carla develop a bit of a routine, albeit not a great one. Carla works night shifts three days of the week, but even on the days when she doesn't have night shifts, Lizzy is still the one having to wake up early each morning to get her siblings ready for school, which is an uphill battle every morning.
Juan starts having nightmares at night-time, which means he wakes Lita up during the night, and she in turn wakes up Lizzy. When morning comes, neither of them have had enough rest, which leaves them all groggy and snappy. Lizzy feeds them cereals for breakfast every day, because there is no other choice. Lita refuses to eat them because she wants pop tarts or scrambled eggs, the way Ellie makes them. Lizzy tries fighting with her the first day, but then gives up after that and sends Lita on an empty stomach to school.
Her brother, on the other hand, eats his food as he is told. But he refuses to engage with anything or anyone. Lizzy gives up trying to talk to him after a while, and Carla does the same thing.
Lizzy raises the issue of getting an extra bed for Juan and Lita, but Carla tells her she still can't afford to budget it in. Lizzy looks at her savings and realizes a bed and mattress would wipe out a big chunk of her savings, savings she's hoping to use towards a security deposit for a new apartment. So she decides to drop the issue and wait it out.
When Carla comes back from her day shifts, Lizzy notices she looks off. Like she's not present. A look Lizzy is very familiar with. She has an idea what is going on, but she really doesn't want to find out. So when Carla has day shifts, she makes sure she picks Juan and Lita up from school herself those days and stays out in the park with them for as long as possible. It seems to work, for now.