Model lady's gotcha

There was this lady in the marketing department at my company. She was pretty, like a fashion model, and notable due to her tasteful, not ghastly, alterations. She was also nice.

After our son was born, she asked me: "How are you holding up?" I talked about my wife, and how she was holding up because, after all, there I was at work, relaxing, and my wife had done the real work and was carrying the major stress load.

After I was done talking about my wife, the model lady from marketing said words to this effect: "That question was a little test I like to give guys after a baby is born. Most of them just talk about themselves and never even mention the wife, who did the real work. So, good for you!"

Three years and a lot of work and many conversations go by, and then my daughter was born. When I returned to work, I was in the break room when a pal named Paul asked me: "How are you holding up?" I heard the door to the break room open, and knew someone was walking in who could hear our conversation as plain as day. I talked about my wife, and how she was holding up because, after all, there I was at work, relaxing, and my wife had done the real work and was carrying the major stress load.

The model lady from marketing appeared around the corner and said: "Your baby came! Great! How are you holding up?" I had forgotten the conversation of three years prior, but assumed that she had heard me telling Paul how my wife and the baby were doing, and that she meant "How are you holding up?"

I said "I'm fine. Feeling good. Being at work is like a vacation."

Not in a mean way, but in a didactic way, she said, "And ... what about your wife?" Confused that she was asking me to repeat myself, I mumbled "Uhhh, she's doing good."

It was only later that I realized that I had been tested, and had flunked.