“We have presents for you!” my friend Kelli squeals as we wrap our arms around each other in a warm hug. It’s Christmas Eve morning and our families haven’t seen each other in four months. We are used to weekly dinners and shared holidays—neither of us have extended family in New England. Covid cases are on the rise again, but an outdoor hike seems relatively risk-free, so we put on our long underwear, snow pants, and boots and meet for a walk in the woods.

She carefully hands me a vintage glass creamer jar full of dirt. “It’s a grapefruit plant!” she gushes. “It grows really slow.” Promising me there is a seed inside, she assures me if I keep it watered, it will grow. I have no idea if grapefruits can actually grow in New England. We don’t exactly have tropical weather.

You can find the rest of the essay over at Coffee + Crumbs.