I thought about her a lot during the following months.

The correct answer is A. succeeding.

The word “succeeding” means “coming after in time or order.” In this case, the speaker is saying that they thought about her a lot during the months that came after they last saw her.

The word “proceeding” means “going on or continuing.” This word does not make sense in the context of the sentence, as the speaker is not

saying that they thought about her a lot while they were continuing to do something else.

The word “preceding” means

“coming before in time or order.” This word also does not make sense in the context of the sentence, as the speaker is not saying that they thought about her a lot before they last saw her.

The word “receding” means “moving back or away.” This word does not make sense in the context of the sentence, as the speaker is not saying that they thought about her a lot while she was moving back or away from them.