Single Red Rose

Shane lay in his bed with a ripped picture held tight against his chest. He wondered why, at just eight, had his mother left him. Why she didn't want him around. Why she didn't love him. He has a great home now. A home with two loving mothers who couldn't be any better for him. But Shane always felt different. He felt as if something was missing. It wasn't that he had two moms or that he was adopted. It was something deeper then that. Something no eight year old could explain.
"Mama Xoe?" Shane asked, climbing into his mother's lap.
"What is it, honey?" she asked, putting down the t.v. remote and wrapping her son tight in her arms.
"Why didn't my real mommy want me?" Shane looked down at the last thing he had to remind him if her, the ripped picture. "Was I no good?"
"Oh no. No, no, no," she lifted Shane's chin so that he was looking at her. "Shane, your birth mother was very young when she had you. She could not provide for you like Mama E and I can. She loved you, Shane, but when she was expecting you she was still in high school and she could not support you and herself going to school full time," she paused and whipped his tears from his slightly flushed cheeks. "Do you understand, honey?" He sniffled and nodded.
"Can I meet her though, mama?" Xoe smiled and hugged Shane.
"Of course. Mama E and I will look into it." Shane smiled and hugged his mom before running back to his room.
* * *
"Xoe?" Ellen called.
"Yeah?" Xoe answered as she came around the corner to see what her wife needed.
"I've got bad news," she said.
"Whats that?" Ellen sat aside and showed Xoe the computer screen.
" Shane's birth mother is dead."
"How are we going to explain this to Shane?" Xoe asked. Ellen called for their son. They smiled as they heard the pitter-patter of his feet as he ran down the stairs.
"Yes, mommy?"
"Honey we've got something important to tell you," Ellen glanced up at Xoe.
"Shane, your birth mother has passes away. She got into a car wreck last year," She paused. "But we know where she's at and we will take you there if you still want to go." Shane cried but not for long.
"We will take you tomorrow, Shane. Go on upstairs and get ready for bed. We will be up in a minute to tuck you in."
* * *
The drive seemed to take forever but once they got there, the minutes passed by as seconds.
Xoe bent down to Shane's eye level and laid her hands on her son's shoulders. "I've got something for you." A red rose was given to Shane.
"Put it with your mom," said Ellen. Shane turned around and read the stone that marked his mothers grave. "Thank you for my new mommies and my new life," he whispered as he laid the single red rose on the tombstone.