Morning Glory: A Short, Short Story

Milton ate his oatmeal with a dirty spoon. The undercooked clumps stuck to the roof of his mouth like flaky barnacles. But he didn't mind. He just added more syrup.
"Finish your breakfast," Milton's mother shouted from the next room, "we have to get going. And don't you dare mess up your good jacket."
Milton regarded the spray of sugar and milk on his trousers with a worried grimace. He didn't like making his mother mad. Especially today.
He cleared his unfinished bowl and milk-streaked glass then rushed to the bathroom where he locked the door and began furiously scrubbing at his black cotton pant legs.
With every scrape of the damp rag soggy oats mashed into the fabric creating larger and larger stains.
There was a knock at the door. Milton's mother's voice came thundering through from the other side.
"What are you doing in there? You're making us late."
Milton began to cry. His mother's voice grew louder.
"What's wrong with you? Open this door!"
Hot tears ran down Milton's cheeks and joined the smeared cereal on his pants.
"Milton! Open this door!"
Milton undid the lock and trembled as the door swung wide to expose his mother's reddened face.
"My god! Look at you! You're a shambles!"
Milton fell into a mess of choking sobs.
For a moment his mother stood over him, prickling with a palpable rage. He squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the inevitable slap.
He felt his mother's body kneel down near him, her arms encircled his shivering form.
"It's okay, baby," she said, broken, "I miss him too. But your brother wouldn't want us to be late to see him one last time, would he?"
Milton's swollen eyes peeped open and he saw his mother's tear-marked cheeks right in front of his own.
"I'm sorry, mommy," he whimpered, "I'm really, really sorry."
"Oh, baby," she whispered, "me too."
"He's in Heaven, right?"
"Honey, anywhere other than here has got to be pretty damn close to heaven."
She smoothed his hair and pulled him closer.
"Now go change your pants and let's get going. Your brother hated black anyway."