The narrator, Lisa Marie, recounts her childhood, which was heavily influenced by her mother's obsession with astrology. Her mother, who believed in supernatural phenomena, would often make decisions based on horoscopes. Lisa Marie's birth date was even faked by her mother, who claimed that the original birth date had a bad astrological prediction.
Lisa Marie grew up feeling like an outcast, being taller and more mature than her peers. She had a hard time fitting in, but things improved when she started dating a boy named Alex. However, her mother's interference, particularly when she found out about Alex, caused tension in their relationship.
Lisa Marie's life was further complicated by the presence of her cousin Charlie, who would often cause trouble and disrespect her mother. Charlie's behavior eventually led to him leaving home, and Lisa Marie was relieved.
However, Lisa Marie's world was turned upside down when she discovered that her birth certificate was fake, and she was actually two years older than she thought. She confronted her mother, who revealed that she had faked the birth date to avoid a bad astrological prediction.
Lisa Marie was furious and felt betrayed by her mother's deception. She eventually sent her real birth certificate to a university and was accepted. She started a new life, but her relationship with her mother became distant.
Years later, Lisa Marie received a call from Charlie, informing her that her mother was ill. She and Alex rushed to her mother's side, and Lisa Marie was able to reconcile with her mother before she passed away. The story concludes with Lisa Marie pregnant and her mother knowing about it through her astrological predictions, leading to a heartwarming moment between the two.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Elizabeth, the narrator's mother, was obsessed with astrology and made decisions based on horoscopes.
2. Elizabeth refused to accept her daughter's astrological birth year and faked her birth date.
3. The daughter, Lisa Marie, was born in 2004, but her mother told her she was born in 2006.
4. Lisa Marie's mother kept her true birth date a secret and created fake documents to support the false date.
5. Lisa Marie was physically and intellectually advanced for her age, making her stand out from her peers.
6. A boy named Charlie, who claimed to be Lisa Marie's cousin, came to live with them when Lisa Marie was six.
7. Charlie was an orphan and had behavioral issues, but Lisa Marie's mother took him in and treated him like family.
8. Lisa Marie struggled to fit in at school due to her size and age difference from her peers.
9. Charlie got into trouble at school and was involved in cheating and selling test answers.
10. Lisa Marie discovered Charlie's scheme and confronted him, but he threatened her not to tell anyone.
11. Charlie left home to live with a rich friend from school and did not return.
12. Lisa Marie's mother got a job as a substitute teacher and enrolled Lisa Marie and Charlie in a private school.
13. Lisa Marie met a boy named Alex and started dating him, but her mother was not thrilled about their relationship.
14. Lisa Marie's mother read her diary and discovered her feelings for Alex, causing a scene at school.
15. Lisa Marie was angry with her mother and felt embarrassed by her behavior.
16. Lisa Marie's university application was rejected due to a fake birth certificate.
17. Lisa Marie discovered the truth about her birth date and confronted her mother.
18. Lisa Marie's mother explained that she had faked her birth date due to a bad astrological prediction.
19. Lisa Marie was accepted into university after resubmitting her application with her real birth certificate.
20. Lisa Marie's relationship with her mother became distant, but they started texting again.
21. Charlie contacted Lisa Marie to inform her that their mother was sick and needed her.
22. Lisa Marie visited her mother and found out that Charlie had been taking care of her.
23. Charlie apologized for his past behavior and expressed gratitude towards Lisa Marie's mother for taking him in.
24. Lisa Marie's mother recovered from her illness, and Lisa Marie spent time with her during her recovery.
25. Lisa Marie discovered she was pregnant, and her mother seemed to know about it before she told anyone.