It was time for Mr. Rocco to shut up shop when I hurried into the florist's. "Now, what is it that you want?" Mr. Rocco turned to me. "I want the most beautiful flower you have." I replied, "And just how much do you have to pay for this most beautiful flower?" I held out a wet hand showing a quarter and dime. He nodded, and then showed me a plant on the counter "I can give you this one for 35 cents." he said," Aw, gee," I protested, "it looks like a weed!" About l 8 inches high, the plant was in a small pot covered with faded red paper." Now trust me, boy---I promise that tomorrow morning when you get up, you will find your most beautiful flower. "said Mr. Rocco. I knew him to be a good honest man, so I agreed to take it. It was almost midnight when I arrived home. Mom was seriously sick and using the front bedroom. I looked in to see if she was asleep, and then quietly tiptoed in and set the plant on the table beside her bed. I wanted her to be surprised when she woke on Mother's Day. The next morning, I dressed and hurried downstairs. The sun was shining through kitchen window as I looked into Mom's room. She motioned for me to come in, then glanced over at the table where the plant was. Holy mackerel! There were three big yellow trumpet-shaped blooms. It was just like Mr. Rocco said---the most beautiful flower I ever saw! When I looked at Mom, she was smiling as tears streamed down her cheeks. She held out her hand for me to come near, then pulled me close and hugged till it hurt. Then, remembering her _ condition and that she wasn't supposed to touch me, she quickly let me go. My dear Mom died the next night. The moment she hugged me turned out to be the most wonderful moment of my life. Not only had that beautiful plant helped show just how much I loved her, but I'd always know how much she loved me. When mother hugged the author tightly, she was showing that  _  .
she liked being given gifts she valued what the author had done for her she was aware of the approaching death she was touched by the beauty of the flower