Respuesta :
Answer: C) Gentle.
Explanation: The connotation of a word is the meaning given by the context or even by the reader based in the emotions this word gives. Connotation is the antonym of denotation which is the literal meaning of a word (the one we can find in a dictionary). In the given passage, the connotation or connotative definition of the word "soft" is gentle, because the context suggests that the mother thank him with gentleness.