Question

ding - dong. alma raced to the door, thinking it was her friend jessie. to her surprise, it was grandma joan, a small suitcase on the ground next to her. \grandma!\ alma said, beaming. \what are you doing here?\ \visiting for the weekend,\ grandma joan said. \your mom and dad kept it a secret to surprise you.\ alma hugged her grandma and told her she was happy to see her. as they were talking, the doorbell rang a second time. this time it was jessie. \jessies picking me up for a sleepover tonight,\ alma told grandma joan. \ill see you soon!\ after a lazy saturday of sleeping in and watching movies, alma came home that evening. the family decided to head out for ice cream, but almas favorite tv show, face the music, was about to come on. \alma, arent you coming?\ asked her mom. \i have to watch this,\ alma said. \its the final round, and ill find out the winner tonight!\ \but you havent spent any time with grandma,\ her mom said quietly. \well hang out tomorrow,\ alma replied. the next day, alma had a swim meet in the morning. when two teammates invited her to lunch afterward, alma said yes. then her friend zhu texted her asking for her opinion on a new pair of sandals, so alma walked to zhus house to see the shoes. when she finally got home in the late afternoon, grandma joans suitcase was next to the front door, and grandma joan was putting on her coat. \grandma!\ alma exclaimed. \youre not leaving already, are you? i barely got to see you.\ \my plane leaves at five, sweetie,\ her grandma replied as a taxi pulled up. \i wish id seen more of you, but you were so busy all weekend.\ alma felt terrible. as she watched the taxi pull away, she wished she could jump back in time. which of the following best describes the main theme or lesson of the story? appreciate loved ones while you can because they wont always be there. dont expect people to drop everything if you surprise them with a visit. many people are just as busy as older adults.

Explanation:

The story shows Alma being busy with other activities and not spending much time with Grandma Joan during her visit. When Grandma is about to leave, Alma realizes she didn't cherish the time with her. The theme is about appreciating loved - ones while they are around.

Answer:

A. Appreciate loved ones while you can because they won't always be there.