Mom, Don't Call Me 2328

Mom loved to distill her parenting philosophy into rules.

My older sister, Aria, was raised as a little princess. Mom always called her "baby," and she grew up spoiled.

When I was born, Mom assigned me a different label: the last four digits of my Social Security Number, 2328.

She believed that a name stripped of emotional attachment would forge an independent personality.

For twenty years, to her, I was 2328.

Then, on Christmas Day, I brought my boyfriend home.

When he called me "baby" over dinner, my mother slammed her cup onto the floor.