If your father never says to you “I love you” when you are a child, it _______ to be more and more difficult for him to say the words as he grows _______.

I do not _______ hearing the words from my father when I was growing up. Truthfully, I could not recall (回想起) when I had _______ said those words to him either.

One day, I decided to _______ the ice and make the first move. So in our next phone conversation I gathered all my _______ and let out the words in a low voice, “Dad...I love you!”

There was a _______ at the other end and he awkwardly replied, “Well, same back at you!”

I was unexpectedly _______ and my voice was raised, “Dad, I know you love me, and I know when you are ready, you will say what you want to say.”

Fifteen minutes later my mother called and _______ asked, “Paul, is everything okay?”

A few weeks later, Dad ________ our phone conversation with the words, “Paul, I love you.” I was so moved that tears were rolling down my cheeks as I finally “________” the love.

As I sat there in tears I realized that this ________ moment had taken our father-and-son relationship to a new ________.Shortly afterwards, my father narrowly escaped death following heart surgery (外科手术). Many times ________, I have wondered if I had not taken the first step and Dad not ________ the surgery, I would have never “heard” the love.

I felt anxious when coming home from school and going into my room. Every day, my________was something different. The hours away at school were long enough to cause a terrible________to my peaceful harbor. Today was no________.

As I entered the house, Mom________me with a smile. It seemed like nothing was________. But I was still doubtful about it. Yesterday, I discovered a chocolate chip cookie was around the________of my favorite figurine (小雕像).________, Callie had enjoyed the cookie so much that she wanted to share it with my figurine.

I________Callie, who had just turned three. I didn’t see her, but I heard the TV blaring (响) in the other room. As I________the family room, I noticed it was pretty________. There were toys all over the floor, but none of them seemed to be mine. Maybe she hadn’t________my room today. I was so________that I breathed a sigh of relief.

I pushed my room door open... and saw________! There were a few headless dolls and some broken toys. “She did it again!” I screamed in________. My mother ran up to me, embarrassed. She________to put a Callie-proof lock on my door tonight. I felt________, because I knew that soon my room would truly belong to me. ________, I was still angry with my little sister so I went to tell her how she had made life________for me.

“Callie..” I started.

“Hooray!” she shouted.

She leaped off the sofa and hugged my knees with such happiness that I could only look down at her and smile.________, she was only three and learning about the world in her own way. And she always chose to explore and________my room because she loved me, her big sister.