The Lemon Tree in the Pot

When I moved into my tiny city apartment, my mother gave me a Meyer lemon tree in a pot. "Every home needs something growing," she said.

I didn't expect much. I have a terrible history with houseplants. But I put it by the window, watered it every Sunday and talked to it while I made coffee.

This winter, it bloomed. The whole apartment smelled like flowers and sunshine for two weeks. Then, slowly, tiny green lemons appeared. Six of them.

When they turned yellow in March, I picked the first one and made lemon curd from my grandmother's recipe. I sent a photo to my mother. She called me immediately and said, "See? Every home." I'm saving the second lemon for when she visits.