Mira Stern

**Mira Stern** is the mother of Alex Stern. She lives in the San Fernando Valley, California.

## Biography

Mira was born to her mother Estrea Stern and her unamed father who died before Alex was born, both of whom were Jewish. Mira was and continues to be disinterested in the Sephardic Jewish heritage and culture of her mother, Estrea Stern. She considered herself an explorer, interested in alternative healings and lifestyles that included homeopathy, allopathy, healing gemstones, Kryon, spirit science. When Estrea Stern died when Alex was nine, Mira grieved for her mother.

At some point, Mira met and fell in love a man. She became pregnant and birthed a daughter she named Galaxy Stern. Alex's father was Brown, although when Alex inquired further, Mira told her she didn't know his exact ethnicity or even what he did for work. He would tell Mira he was from Mexico, sometimes Peru, Stockholm or Cincinnati, as a kind of inside joke between them. She would bring him home to meet her mother. She would tell Alex that he met Estrea, and then turned around and never came back. She told Alex he was a Gemini, that he loved the ocean and he liked to surf. Eventually, Alex would realize that questions about her father hurt Mira, and she would stop inquiring about him.

Mira raised Alex in a small Studio City apartment in San Fernando Valley, California. They didn't have a lot of money. Alex recalls eating frozen food, boil-in-a-bag rice dishes, and then healthy shakes and nutrition bars after Mira got into selling Herbalife, the multi-level marketing scam of fake health supplements. When Alex asks Mira for a name-change on her school documents from 'Galaxy' to 'Alex' at the start of middle school, Mira agrees.

Mira thought her daughter simply troubled and was unaware that Alex was frightened of the ghosts that tormented her. When Mira goes to pick Alex up from her seventh grade school trip, she is dismayed to discover that Alex seemed to go through an episode in the restroom. Apparently the middle school staff told Mira that Alex may have been molested and that's why she acted out when she got her period. Mira cried tears as she speculated that perhaps Alex's avoidance of the YMCA swimming pool may have been when she was violated. Later, when Mira tentatively asked Alex what happened, Alex stayed silent, even as Mira tried to tell her it wasn't her fault and that it was safe to tell her. Alex only begged to stay home, to not go back to school. Mira let her stay home for a week, and took her to a therapist, but Alex had nothing to say in those sessions. When Monday came and Mira put the choice between school or therapy, Alex chose to go back to school.

Alex soon began hanging out with high school kids, such as Mosh and Len Beacon, and started doing drugs and alcohol. She did not know how to parent Alex through her trauma, especially as Alex began stealing things around the house and broke her house rules. When Alex was fifteen, Mira spent her savings to try and send her to a scared-straight program for teens. However, Alex escaped from the program's van and ran away. Alex would see her mother again when she was 20 years old, at the hospital after Dean Elliot Sandow made the offer to attend Yale University.

### Ninth House

Mira stayed in contact with Alex during her first year at Yale University, making sure to send supportive texts. When Mercy Zhao called her and expressed her concern about Alex, Mira took a plane from California to New Haven, Connecticut, booking a hotel to stay in. Mercy, who once followed Alex, brought Mira to the Hutch. Mira was excited to see her daughter again and became worried for Alex's well being when she saw her. Entering the Hutch, Mira along with Mercy began tidying up the clutter which led to Alex joining them in cleaning up the Hutch. The pair made Alex shower and book an appointment with the university's health center to get antibiotics, though Alex refused to show them her injury. Mira went to the fancier grocery market to get soup and Gatorade, and later went to get Alex some new clothes—boots, some jeans and Y-shirts, a pair of shower sandals, and a dress.

Mira told Alex she has to leave for her flight in the morning as she has work on Monday. So, Alex toured Mira around Old Campus and showed her the suite in Vanderbilt. Mira lit up a bundle of sage and started smudging the common room—much to Alex's embarrassment. When it was time for her to head back to her hotel, Mira expresses her concern for Alex's well-being. She tears up at the news Alex will be staying at Yale for the summer, although she reassures Alex that it's good, saying that she belongs at New Haven. Mira hugged Alex and expressed her regret at not being a better parent. Stopping Mira before she got into the car, Alex tentatively asked about her dad. More serious now, Mira told Alex that being with her father was like being an arsenic eater. Making Alex promise to text her, Mira left in the car.

### Hell Bent

Mira was pleased to hear that Alex was staying over in New Haven over the summer, believing that Alex would fall into bad habits if she came back to LA. When Alex visited LA over the summer one Sunday, Mira went with her friend Andrea to the local farmer's market. According to Alex, she looked happy and less stressed than Alex had ever seen her.

## Personal Attributes

### Personality

Mira Stern conducts herself with a determined cheer and optimism. A part of this aspect of her personality is her belief in a kind of light-hearted magic and supernatural.

### Physical Appearance

Mira has blonde hair, done up with highlights and blue eyes.

## Relationships

### Alex Stern

Alex and Mira have a fraught mother-daughter relationship as a result of Mira being unaware of Alex's innate ability to see Grays. She didn't know how to parent or help Alex through her experiences and her fondness for pseudo-scientific 'magic' and her general flighty nature was a point of frustration for Alex. Nevertheless, both Mira and Alex have a deep care and love for each other as mother and daughter. As Alex attends Yale, Mira is sure to regularly text her. When Mercy Zhao calls in concern for Alex, Mira drops everything to see her at Yale.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 *Ninth House* Chapter 5 (Winter)
2. ↑ May 21 to June 21
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 *Ninth House* Chapter 28 (Early Spring)
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 *Ninth House* Chapter 7 (Winter)
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 *Hell Bent* Chapter 9