The Cry That Meant Something All Along

When Marcus Chen brought his newborn daughter home from the hospital in Portland, every cry sounded identical — a piercing, urgent alarm that sent him scrambling. Hungry? Wet? Tired? He couldn't tell. He tried everything in rotation, exhausted and guessing. His mother flew in from Sacramento the second week. She sat in the rocking chair one evening, head tilted, and said, "That's her hungry cry — hear how it's short and rhythmic?…