Holly felt confused as she unwrapped the gift from her best friend, Susan. It was a twelve-by-eighteen-inch dark blue carpet. The murdered “thanks” was ___16___heard as Holly tried hard not to allow her ___17___to show. Then the two girls headed outside to play. The next morning, I carried a full kitchen bag outside. My heart ___18___as I lifted the lid of the rubbish can and saw Susan’s carpet lying on the bottom. Hesitating only a moment, I ___19___in and picked it up, and then put it ___20___in a closet. As there were a lot of things in our daily life, the carpet was soon ___21___. Before Holly’s birthday, Susan had been a(n) ___22___visitor in our home. But one day I suddenly realized it was nearly three weeks ___23___we’d heard Susan’s name last time. The singing in the yard told me Holly had arrived home from school. “Susan invited me to her house after school tomorrow.” She ___24___.Although her voice carried a so-what attitude, I ___25___she was pleased by the invitation. A woman stood in the doorway to greet us as we ___26___the small farmhouse. “Excuse the mess.” she apologized. Susan ___27___showed us her room, which was neatly decorated with little used ___28___. As the girls compared notes about the school day, I followed Susan’s foster mom, Glenda, into the kitchen. ___29___some cups of coffee, I came to respect this poor but generous-hearted woman who had adopted the young girl and attempted to make a(n) ___30___to Susan’s life. As the evening drew ___31___, we offered our thanks for the visit and said good-bye. Usually Holly talked a lot in the car. ___32___this time she sat quietly, lost in though. When we got home, she rushed to the rubbish can. He head ___33___as she entered the house. I went inside and ___34___for the closet. “Is this what you were looking for?” I placed the piece of carpet on the table in front of her. “Thanks, Mom.” A tear or two slipped from her eyes and splashed onto the dark blue carpet which, as if by ___35___, had become the most precious birthday present in the whole world.