What happened to Lenas Mother after they moved to Oakland

Lena says that her mother eventually lost any and all identity, or "the struggle to keep her eyes open." Lena's mother spoke little English, and her father spoke very little Chinese. Because Lena spoke both languages, she witnessed how much of her mother's intentions were lost in translation. After a man on the street scared Lena's mother, she became uneasy and kept rearranging the furniture in the house to "balance" it. It turned out she was having a baby but, strangely, this realization brought her no joy.