The context of the following conversation is Alex served under Lee in an apprenticeship that lasted for years until Lee decided they were ready to take the next step.:
Lee says Today was a good day. One of my apprentices finally advanced in his career..
The friend responds That's good news! Was it Alex?.
Lee responds Yeah, Alex. He's been working hard for years now. It was a little bleak for a while, especially when his day job started encroaching on his free time. But he never faltered and finally passed my tests!.
The friend responds Great. Will he be performing plumbing tasks on his own now?.
Lee responds Nope. That's the next step after this. Now he'll be able to go on jobs with me and see how things are really done..
The friend responds Good for him..