Chapter 6

Every brick, every tile, and every blade of grass in this garden was chosen by me and Benson together—including the large lemon tree in the backyard. That tree had been transplanted from the park next to our old basement unit. Back when we had no money, our greatest form of entertainment was taking walks in that little park. Benson had said, "Let this tree stand in honor of the ten hard years you spent with me, Yvonne. As long as the tree remains, so does my promise. I will never let you down." Spring hadn't arrived yet. The lemon tree stood dry and lifeless with not a hint of green on its branches. Just like the last ten years between me and Benson, it was lifeless. I went to the storage room and took out an electric saw, then called the neighbor's husband to help me cut it down. The neighbor's wife looked startled. "Every autumn when the leaves turn gold and flutter down, my husband and I would see you two from our rooftop terrace. You'd sit under that tree with a table and two