A
“Do you remember when Sean used to tell me that I was the best dad in the world?” Ethan asked his wife, Grace. “Yes, I do. I always envied your relationship with Sean,” she replied. Ethan then shared how things had changed since (a) his son started middle school. Grace had noticed Ethan often pushing Sean to study harder. “Maybe he isn’t that into school right now. How about going hiking, just the two of you?” she suggested. He agreed, and realizing that both his and Sean’s hiking jackets were still at the laundry, he asked his wife to go and pick them up with him.
B Ethan and Grace came back home with the jackets and checked if Sean had everything else he needed for hiking. Luckily, in his drawers they found his hat, shoes, sunglasses, and hiking sticks. When Sean returned from school, Ethan softly said, “Sean, let’s go hiking this Saturday, just the two of us.” Though Sean thanked (b) him for the suggestion, he said he had to go to the library. Grace stepped in, “You know, the weather this weekend will be the best of the year. Why not enjoy it?” After a moment’s hesitation, (c) he agreed.
C “When did you bring the jackets in?” the clerk at the laundry asked. “Maybe two weeks ago,” Ethan replied. Then, Grace quickly reminded (d) him “Honey, we actually left them here a month ago.” The clerk went into the storage area to look for the clothes. Finally, he returned with the jackets and handed them to Ethan. The clerk politely said, “I am sorry, but please collect your items earlier next time. Our storage is too full.” Ethan felt embarrassed for the late collection and apologized.
D The weather was perfect. Ethan and Sean set off hiking along the valley by Aicken Mountain. They walked in silence until Sean fell over a rock and twisted his ankle. Realizing he couldn’t walk, Ethan carried his son down on his back. He felt Sean’s heartbeat, something he hadn’t felt since Sean was a baby. Suddenly, Sean said, “Dad, I’m sorry. At some point, I started to become afraid of disappointing (e) you But you are still the best dad.” Energized, he felt no weight on his back and replied, “You are the best son, no matter what.”
