I am a mistake. From the moment of my conception, I was unintended and unwanted. Upon discovering she was pregnant, my mother had no interest in keeping me. Options were restricted in those days. Abortion was illegal, and social services were limited due to the deep social stigma of unwed pregnancy. Once I was born, I was promptly shuttled off to an adoption agency. For her, the mistake was fixed; gone, never to face her again. Yet the mistake still existed. Getting pregnant was not the mistake. The mistake was the child itself. And one day, the mistake came calling.