A thoroughly overwhelmed woman lunged for her ringing phone, absolutely desperate for any shred of good news on the worst day of her entire life.
“How are you, sweetie?” a warm, comforting voice asked on the other end.
The woman instantly burst into bitter tears. “Oh, Mom, it’s a total nightmare! The baby won’t stop screaming, the washing machine just flooded the kitchen, I just severely sprained my ankle, and to top it all off, I have two couples coming over for a formal dinner party tonight!”
The caller didn’t hesitate for a single second. “Oh, my poor darling! Sit down right now, close your eyes, and breathe. I am driving over this very minute. I will do your grocery shopping, scrub the house, cook the dinner, and call a repairman for the washer. In fact, I’ll even call George at his office and tell him to get his butt home early to help you out!”
The crying woman blinked, suddenly confused. “George? Who’s George?”
An icy silence stretched over the line. “…Wait. Is this 223-1374?”
“No,” the woman sniffled. “This is 223-1375.”
“Oh, goodness, I am so incredibly sorry! I dialed the wrong number.”
There was a brief, agonizing pause before the exhausted housewife whispered:
“Wait… so does this mean you’re not coming over?”
