She had the window and I had the aisle
She looked twenty-five but she was
Shaking like a child when we took off
I looked over, and clutched in her hand
There was a cactus in a coffee can
She was holding that thing like it was all that she had
She smiled at me but I could tell she was sad
Somewhere over Denver, I asked her her name
She said "Elena," and told me she came from Santa Fe
She ordered a drink and water came down
She started talking and pain poured out
She told me a story I'll never forget
She had me in tears when she looked at me and said
"My mama's first love was crack
She made her living lying on her back
And she gave me away on the day that I was born"
She said, "The last ten years I spent tracking her down
It don't seem fair that when I finally found her she was almost gone
We had two weeks together to laugh and to cry
Two weeks to say hello and goodbye
She gave me this cactus, said 'It's kinda like me
It'll hurt you to hold it, but it blooms every spring'"
She said, "I'm on my way back to New Mexico
Was gonna scatter these ashes where the desert winds blow
But I came up with a better plan
I'm gonna keep 'em in the bottom of this coffee can"
"My mama was a tortured soul
I still love her even though
She gave me away on the day I was born"
The plane touched down and we both got off
I took her hand and said, "I'm sorry for your loss"
She said, "Thanks for listening, and for being here
I've been wantin' to talk about for so many year"
And I'll prob'ly never see Elena again
We met as strangers and parted as friends
As we waved goodbye, I was sure of one thing
There'll be a flower on that cactus come next spring