It was just a harmless Valentine's Day joke. Old Lady Hayes 1 it. She used to scream at us for "borrowing" a few of her precious raspberries (木莓), like we were 2 gold.
George practiced 3 the box out of reach by the string. I couldn't wait to see it fly away when she tried to pick it up.
I was first to 4 my dad in the doorway. I froze. Within seconds, my 5 was shared by all. Dad walked slowly to the empty candy box. He picked it up, and watched it swing back and forth. Then he looked into the eyes of the 6 boys.
"It doesn't seem so long ago that I was playing Valentine's Day 7,"he said, "One year my cousins and I decided to try one on our Grandma Walker 8 we loved her. We just wanted to have some 9. We sneaked up to her 10 and drew a gift there with red paint. Then we kicked the door and 11 behind the bushes. When Grandma 12 appeared, she looked down. Even from 15 feet away we could see the 13 in her eyes. Grandma 14 for the fresh paint. Slowly, she 15 our joke. She tried to smile, absently wiping red paint on her clean and white apron (围裙)."Dad 16 and for the first time I noticed that his eyes were 17."Grandma died later that year. I never had another 18 to give her a real valentine."
Later that night a red. heart-shaped box was 19 on Mrs. Hayes' front doorstep We hid behind the bushes to see how she would 20 to receiving a full box of candy.
