The Phone That Always Answers

Margaret Chen's son David stopped calling regularly after college. He moved to Portland, found new friends, built a life that didn't seem to include her. But every few months, the phone would ring at odd hours. A lease falling through. A car wreck on I-84. A layoff from the tech startup he'd staked everything on. Each time, Margaret answered. She wired money, drove six hours through the Cascades, talked him through panic attacks at two in the morning.…