The call came at 8:45. As it does each morning. Not my phone. My friend, Gene’s. It was his dad. His 91-year-old dad. “We don’t actually say the words out loud,” Gene said, “But it’s his daily, ‘Yes, I’m alive’ call.” Some days the calls are short. Some days longer. Monday was a chatty call. Dad felt like talking. So, Gene shared his story from the night before. How he had splurged. Dug into his family wallet to take his