She had the window and I had the aisle
She looked twenty-five, but she was shakin' like a child
When we took off, I looked over
And clutched in her hands was this cactus, in a coffee can
She was holdin' 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, then told me she came from Santa Fe
She ordered a drink and a wall came down
She started talkin', and the 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, oh
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 years
Now I'll probably 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