Reading it all wrong

I can recall there was a moment with a co-worker who I thought was upset with me. It was an important week at the school I work for and the school event was quickly approaching. I had been avidly getting things prepared for the class and I asked my co-teacher if she could help hang some decorations. She quickly replied “yes, ok” and walked away. She didn’t return to the classroom for about a half hour so I assumed she was irritated that I asked her. Upon her return we were both very quiet. A couple minutes into the silence she turned to me and said she wasn’t feeling well and had to leave. Apparently she left the room because she was very sick-not upset. I was relieved because I thought I had upset her but she was simply ill. From chapter 5 Trenholm (2011) argues that we should “give proper attention to nonverbal cues”. I should have realized that she wasn’t feeling well and if I wasn’t so intent on getting the classroom ready I probably would have noticed.