The first lady leaned back in her silk-upholstered chair, her eyes sparkling with pride. “You know,” she began, “when my first child was born, my husband went all out. He built me this magnificent mansion—marble floors, sweeping staircases, chandeliers. You should have seen it!”
The second lady smiled politely, tilting her head. “Well… isn’t that nice?”
“Oh, but it didn’t stop there,” the first continued, leaning forward conspiratorially. “When my second child arrived, he surprised me with that sleek Cadillac out front. The one with the cream leather seats and the sunroof. I still remember the look on the delivery guy’s face—priceless!”
Again, the second woman nodded sweetly. “Well… isn’t that nice?”
“And the third!” the first exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “When my third child was born, he gave me this exquisite diamond bracelet—glittering, flawless, simply breathtaking. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
The second woman, serene as ever, murmured, “Well… isn’t that nice?”
After a pause, the second woman’s curiosity finally got the better of her. “Tell me,” she asked, leaning in, “what happened with your son?”
The first lady sighed, her expression shifting from pride to sorrow. “Oh, my poor son,” she said, shaking her head. “His marriage… it’s a disaster. He ended up with a wife who… well, she doesn’t lift a finger around the house. Not a single thing. She spends her days in bed, lounging, reading, or napping. Can you believe it? He even brings her breakfast in bed!”
The second lady gasped, placing a hand over her heart. “That’s… dreadful. And your daughter?”
The first lady’s face softened into a dreamy smile. “Ah, my daughter—she’s a marvel. She married the perfect husband. He treats her like royalty! Every morning, he brings her breakfast in bed. She can sleep as long as she likes, lounge all day, and never worries about a single chore. He insists she relax completely. Isn’t that simply wonderful?”
The second lady’s eyes widened with a mix of admiration and envy. “Well… isn’t that nice?”
The first lady chuckled, shaking her head. “Isn’t it ironic? One child gets a wife who does nothing, and the other gets a husband who does everything. Life has its way of balancing things out… in the most curious ways.”
The two women laughed together, the sound echoing through the sunlit parlor, each pondering the strange, unpredictable joys and misfortunes of marriage and family.