"Carol!  Margene!  Oh, thank you so much for coming!" Arvilla hugs her best friends.

"Oh Arvilla, of course we came!  You're our best friend!" Carol says.

"Yeah girlfriend!  You think just because I saved and saved and saved for a singles cruise, I wouldn't just throw it all away for you?"

Arvilla laughs. "Margene, don't make me feel bad!"

"It's not your fault.  It's Joe's!"

"It is, isn't it?"

"Mhm!  Oh honey, you know I'm just messing with you!"

"I do!  Thank you for always making me laugh, Margene.  I really need that right now."

Margene smiles and hugs her friend once again.

Arvilla mingled with some guests, and tried her best to put on a happy face.  She did not want to break down in front of everyone.

**

"This was on our very first field trip to Borneo." Arvilla said with her beautiful smile Joe loved so much. "We had just started doing our research.." Arvilla looked up and saw Francine.  Arvilla's already uneasy stomach started to do flips when she spotted her.

Francine hated Arvilla with a burning passion.  The fact that there were a two year age difference between she and her father's second wife was something Francine was never able to accept.

"Oh!  Excuse me!
.. Francine!" Arvilla hugs her, and then her husband.
"I was afraid you weren't coming!"

Without a hello Francine took one look at her father's urn and turned her nose up at it.

"Oh!  Oh!  What happened to the box?"

"Well, the diet gave me the box to bring Joe's ashes home from Borneo, but he so loved that urn..
-It held the hearts of sa-"

"Sacrificed warriors.
  We'll want to put him in something more substantial."

Arvilla's smile slowly faded, and she nodded.

Oh how this woman got under her skin!

**

Arvilla separated from everyone and decided to wash some dishes.
When she was finished she took another walk past Joe.  Something she had been doing since receiving his ashes.  She wanted to walk by him just to feel him.  Maybe it was strange, but it gave her comfort.

Arvilla's heart began to pound when she realized the urn was gone.

In a panic Arvilla looked around the room to find Francine.  Finally she found her in Joe's office.

"Francine." Arvilla went in to speak to her about the urn, but was taken back when she found her going through their things.

She then began talking, making Arvilla's head spin.
Asking about the will, then telling her; not asking, but Telling her that Joe would be laid to rest next to their mother in Montecito.  Arvilla wanted to scream!

"Francine, Joe made me promise.  I will honor my husband's wishes."

"It's in the will."

"Well he made another will after we were married!"

"Did you ever see it?"

"Well.."

"Daddy didn't always get around to things, did he?
  Like retire back to Santa Barbara to be near his grandchildren.  Daddy gave you a wonderful life.
Let me take him home, and you can have this house."

"No.
  No, I-I'm sorry, Francine.  I can't.  Not tonight." Arvilla closed her eyes and nodded her head.

Francine took a pause and a deep breath. "The service is a week from Saturday.
  I will call you to make arrangements."

And with that Francine left her father's house.

Arvilla took a deep breath in and tried her best to hold her tears in.

**

That evening Arvilla stayed up late looking through their scrapbooks they made together.
She missed this man so much.  It hurt so bad to live without him.

Since his passing, Arvilla has not been able to sleep in their bed.
So she grabbed some blankets and Joe's urn, which she held to her chest, and went out to the garage.  She got in Joe's car and took in the smell.  The smell reminded her of when Joe would take her out on long car rides just the two of them.  They never had a set destination, but no matter what, it was always an adventure.

*
*
*

A month before Joe's death.

"Are you feeling better, honey?"

"Yeah, a little bit.  Just some cramping.  I just had my period, and usually it takes a couple days to feel normal again." Arvilla chuckled.

Joe smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I love you." He said.

"I love You."

"Let's go for a ride in the Bonneville."

"Where we going?"

"Just around." Joe smiles.

"Alright!" Arvilla said with a giggle. "Let's party in the Bonneville!" 

**

"WOOO!  Joe, not so fast!  Be careful!"

"There's no one around!  Come on, have some fun, Villa!"

Arvilla laughed and grabbed a tight hold of Joe's thigh.

"Ahhh!"

Joe then stopped the car and laughed at his screaming wife.

Arvilla hit his arm and shouted, "That's mean!"

"Ohhh you big baby!" Joe taps her nose.

Arvilla laughs and smacks him once again.

"Hey are you trying to start something?"

"Oh you've already started it, mister!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Yeah?"

"YEAH!" Arvilla unbuckles her seat belt and straddles Joe.

"Oh you really wanna start something?"

She laughs and says, "Are you new here, buddy?" Arvilla grabs the bottom of her shirt and pulls it off.

Joe then unbuckles her pants and grabs the waist to pull them off.

"Wait!  Wait, this isn't gonna work!" Arvilla laughs and climbs out of the car.

"What are you doing?" He asks.

"Taking my pants and underwear off out here."

"Why?" Joe chuckles.

"It's too hard in there.  It'll never happen.  Pull yours down before I get back in."

"Alright."

"Hurry, I'm so exposed!" Arvilla bounced, standing out in only a bra.

"There's no one out here!"

"I don't care!  Hurry!"

"Alright!  Alright!" Joe laughs and soon Arvilla hops back in the car.

"I'm ready!  Are you?"

"You really have to ask?" Joe looks down to his hard member.

"With you, I'm always ready."

"I'm flattered." Arvilla giggles and kisses his lips.

She then grabs him in her hand and slowly lowers herself onto him.

"Wow!" She smiles.

Joe grabbed Arvilla's hips as she began to find a rhythm.

"Mmm.. Mmmm.." She moaned softly.  Her eyes shut, and her head hanging back.

Joe caressed her sides and looked up to enjoy the pleasure on her face.

"Damn you're sexy."

Arvilla looked down and smiled.

Joe then reached behind her and unhooked her bra.

"Wow!  They always amaze me."

"I know!"

Joe massages her soft skin in his hands, then leans forward and begins sucking on them.

That sent Arvilla over the edge.  She moaned a little louder, and increased her speed.

Joe then softly screatched his nails up and down her back as he looked up and saw Arvilla's face change.  She was clearly enjoying herself.

"Ah.. Ah.. Ohhhhh.."

Joe once again returned to her breasts, and Arvilla moaned louder.

"Yeah!  Ohhh!  Ohhh!  Dammit!"

Joe began breathing heavily.  Arvilla looked down to him and ran her hand through his hair as he continued sucking on her nipples, and biting the plumped skin around.

"Joeeee.." She whined.

Arvilla tightened her walls around him and moaned his name.

Joe then laid his head back as he felt himself closer to his climax.

"Oh Joe!  Oh Joe!" Arvilla shouts, gasping.

"Villa!"

"Ah!  Ah!  OHHHHH!  AHHH!"

Joe opened his eyes to enjoy his wife orgasmning in front of him.

He couldn't believe what a lucky man he was.

Once the two came, Arvilla looked down and giggled with a bit of exhaustion.

"Wow."

"You are so incredible, baby girl."

Arvilla grabbed Joe's cheeks and placed her forehead against his.

"I love you."

"I love you more."

The two then shared a passionate kiss.

*
*
*

Arvilla laid in the Bonneville and cried, clutching Joe against her body, as she remembered that absolutely beautiful day in June.

"Oh Joe.. My whole world has been shattered.

There is no meaning anymore.   All of our work.  Gone.

We still had so much to accomplish together.

We were inseparable.  Everyone who knew us knew that about us, baby!

I loved you for twenty years.. And I will continue loving you until the end of my days.

Joe.." Arvilla smiles through her tears.

"Keep shining your light on me, honey.   Help me live without you.. because right now it seems impossible."