As she waited at the edge of the ice for her music to start, Peggy took a quick look at her father standing nearby with a group of parents and teachers. He smiled at her. Then she _________ out at the audience, _________ to see her mother. These two, Albert and Doris Fleming, had driven all the way from California more than 2, 000 miles away, to see their _________ compete in this sports meet in Cleveland, Ohio.

The music _________ and Peggy moved onto the ice, letting the music _________ her along into her turns, and she began skating with much _________ in herself. The cold fear she always had in the _________ seconds before skating onto the ice was gone. She was feeling the movement of the _________ and letting it carry her. She skated _________, then did some jumps, a final turn and her performance was finished.

The crowd loved it and cheered as she __________ off the ice. “Nice job,” said one of the other __________. It was the remark that always came after a free-skating performance. But what should the __________ say? Standing beside her father, Peggy __________ for the scoring to be finished. On all sides were other young skaters, some waiting __________ alone, others with a parent. Shortly before 10 o’clock the results were announced. The new United States Women’s Figure Skating Champion was Peggy Fleming of Pasadena, __________.

Two days earlier, my stepfather Doug told my mom he wasn’t feeling well and went to the bedroom to lie down. However, Mom couldn’t ________ him anymore. Since he died, Mom has hardly spoken. She ________ that she wanted to pack up (打包) some of Doug’s things to give to his family so I ________ to do it for her. “I’m going to pick up some ________,” I said to Mom.

I drove to the grocery store (杂货店) and asked the manager if he was ________ any boxes. When I explained, he expressed his sympathy (同情), and then asked me their ________. “Can you come back in an hour?” Surprisingly, I thought, “Couldn’t he give me some boxes unless my family ________ at his store?”

When I ________, the manager took out a lot of boxes and several bags of groceries. “I didn’t ________…” “I looked up your parents’ spending record through their names and made a ________ of their last grocery order,” he explained. “I hope it’s helpful for your ________. It’s a gift.”

Back home, I explained where the ________ groceries had come from. Mom looked at the goods ________. “Oh, that was Doug. Since COVID-19 started, Doug has done all our grocery shopping online,” she said. Of course, Mom could depend on Doug to ________ all her favorite foods. But it turned out that she could depend on a(n) ________ store manager too.

Finally, the farm where I’d grown up with my parents came into my sight. I picked up my _______ and almost ran. There was a feel of “home”, a _______ I really needed right then.

Suddenly a (n) _______ sweet smell of lilacs (丁香) in bloom made me slow down. I _______ pulled a bunch to my face and enjoyed the sweetness, as I had always done in my childhood. Warm memories _______ my mind until I got home. There, Mum and Dad _______ me with a tight hug.

I _______ pronounced, “It’s spring! The lilacs are in bloom!”

“Lilacs in blossom or not, it isn’t spring until winter is gone,” Dad _______, “We’ll still get a bit of cold weather.”

But I still _______ that pleasure the lilacs had brought to me. Immediately, I recalled the card from Mum—one that had __________ me through my dark days. Printed on the card were a flower coming from the crack of rock and the __________ words, “In the middle of winter, I found in heart an everlasting __________.” At the bottom of the card, Mum added, “Spring is your favorite time of year. As always, it’s __________.”

These are words Mum, who always sees the __________ side of our life, lives by. Even during winter, she finds spring. I love her sense of joy and her willingness to __________ it.