【推荐1】“Mom.” Eric pulled gently at his mom’s sleeve. Eric’s mom turned to Eric briefly, showing him a hand gesture to wait before pointing at her work phone. Eric knew he’d be _______ a long time once his mom started talking to her colleagues.

He returned to the living room. Dad was also _______ on his phone now! Eric curled up on the couch. It was nearly time to go to the playground. He didn’t want to wait any longer.

Finally, Erie’s dad sat beside him on the couch. “I’m _______, but we can always go tomorrow.”

“But you always say that, and it never _______!” Eric jumped off the couch.

“We’ll make it up to you this weekend.” Mom entered the room and put a hand on his shoulder. “Santa will visit the mall to collect _______ from all the kids. Would you like to go to see him?”

Eric spent the next few days working on his letter to Santa. On Saturday morning, he woke up _______ to go to the mall and see Santa. He entered the kitchen, where he _______ to find his parents, but instead, Grandma Annie was there.

Grandma smiled at him. “Your mom and dad had to work today, so they asked me to _______ you. I hear we will deliver your letter to Santa at the _______!”

“No, I don’t want to go anymore.” Eric turned away.

Late that evening, Erie’s parents came home. Grandma Annie said to them, “I know you both have to work very hard, but it’s important to make ________ for your children.”

Eric’s mom and dad looked at each other, feeling ________.

After Grandma Annie ________, Eric’s mom and dad went to his room. Eric was already asleep, with tear marks on his soft cheeks. His mom ________ a letter to Santa in his hand.

They ________ out the paper. There was only one item on Eric’s wish list, and it brought them to ________. “Dear Santa, can you give my mom and dad a lot of money so they can spend more time with me instead of working all the time. I miss them so much.”