"You're doing the right thing." Carol says in her very calm voice.

"Yeah?"

"Especially going in person."

"And we'll come with you." Margene says.

"We'll what?" Carol asks.

"Oh no.  You don't have to do that!"

"Well, listen sister!  I was supposed to be on a cruise of a lifetime this week!  You owe me a trip!"

Arvilla looks at her friends with the most beautiful smile.  It was the biggest smile she's had since Joe passed.

"Really?  Oh!" She chuckles. "Well fine then.  Let's take a trip!  Well we can fly out of Salt Lake on Monday."

"But the funeral isn't until Saturday." Carol says.

"Well that gives us time for Beverly Hills, and the beach, and-" Arvilla laughs.  She was so excited for this trip.

"I'll make the arrangements.  It's my treat

"Ooh!  Rodeo Drive, here I come!" Margene says making Arvilla laugh.

***

Monday.

Arvilla has spent the last couple of days preparing for her trip to California.
Now that today is the day, her nerves are getting the best of her.

Arvilla packed up the car with all of her luggage.

"Ooh!  I guess I'm gonna have to get used to doing this all by myself, huh?  I think I pulled something, Joe!" She chuckles and softly rubs her side.

"Alright.. I guess we better get going.." Arvilla sighed and walked in to grab Joe.

Arvilla shut the lights off and looked around.
She felt so sad that she had to go against her husband's wishes.

She grabbed the doorknob and sighed. "I'm sorry, Joe." She whispers tearfully.

Once Arvilla walked out, she placed her hand on the trunk to close it.  Suddenly she looked over and noticed Joe's Bonneville.

"Hm.. What do you say, babe?  Why don't we take one last ride?  Would you like that?" She smiled and placed a soft kiss on his urn.

Arvilla then moved all of the luggage and got in.  She placed the urn in her lap, and she gently rubbed it. "Let's go, baby!"

**

Carol and Margene were shocked to see Arvilla driving Joe's car.  She had never even attempted driving it when he was alive.  Not that Joe wouldn't let her, but Arvilla simply had no interest in doing so.

When Arvilla picked Margene and Carol up, she held Joe tight, then handed him over.

Margene then handed him to Carol and said, "Don't let anything happen to Joe.  Or Arvilla will be living out of a shopping cart."

"Oh!" Arvilla laughs.

Once everyone is in a buckled, Arvilla smiles and says, "Alright.  Ready?"

"Ready!'

"Okay.. California, here we come!"

"Wooo!" Margene shouts.

**

It was a three hour drive to Salt Lake, so the women had plenty of time to talk.
Arvilla was laughing one minute, an crying the next.  She was a mess!

"Margene, can I have some of your drink, please?" Carol asks.

Arvilla turns to them, then brings her eyes back to the road.

Suddenly Carol shouts, "Margene!  That's coffee!"

"What did you expect?  Chicken soup?"

"What kind of Mormon are you?"

"The fun kind!" Margene smiles. "Come on, you're not gonna go to hell over a cup of coffee!
  Besides, if anybody's gonna fry, it's gonna be me."

"Don't say that!"

"I drink coffee... enjoy the occasional medicinal scotch.
  And I would give anything to feel a man's-"

"Oh Margene!"

"Ooh!" Arvilla smirks.

"Big Ring!" Margene says making a loud laugh come from Arvilla.

"Who put a nickle in you?" She asks still laughing.
"Oh gosh, but you will have to close that, honey.  This smell is making me sick!"

"Oh please!" Margene rolls her eyes. "You drink coffee too, Arvilla.  Don't act like little miss perfect back there."

"I didn't say I didn't drink it!  My stomach has just been funny since Joe passed, and that coffee smell isn't making it feel any better."

"Alright." Margene sighs and continues drinking her coffee.

"Or just ignore my stomach issues and down your coffee!  Here, chew this when you're done." Arvilla grabs a gum and tosses it on her lap.

"Gee, thanks!"

**

Driving down the streets she and Joe have driven down together was making Arvilla's heart hurt.
Seeing a very young newly married couple driving made her feel ill.

Arvilla quickly snapped herself out of it, and said, "Have you ever been to the Salt Flats?"

"No." Margene says, wondering what her friend was up to.

Arvilla smiles and looks back to the road.

"Arvilla, we don't have time to go sightseeing." Carol says.

"We'll get a later flight, it's okay!"

"No but Franicine's expecting us." Carol says picking up her phone.

"Who are you calling?" Margene asks.

"I'm just calling Arlo."

Margene grabs the cell phone from her and says, "Arlo said to have fun.  So have fun, damn it!"

Arvilla and Margene both laugh.

**

While driving out on the Salt Flats Arvilla thought back to her honeymoon twenty years ago.
She remembered being a bundle of nerves when seeing the man she just married race away at 150 miles an hour.

Arvilla smiled.  She thought she should be a bit more daring like Joe was.

"Tighten your seatbelts."

"Why?" Carol asks.

"'Cause I promised Arlo I would get you back in one piece."

Margene giggles, and soon they all screamed when Arvilla stepped on it.

"This is stupid!  This is not funny!  Ahhh!  Joe!  Joe!  Joe!  Stop the car!  Stop the car, damn it!"

Suddenly Arvilla was filled with instant regret.  Now the car is messed up, and Joe was flying out all over the place!  She then got out of the car and took the urn from Carol.

Arvilla walked away, leaving her friends without saying a word.  She took a few deep breaths and looked down.
She chuckled and smiled up to the sky.

"I suppose you think this is funny." She whispered to Joe.

**

Arvilla went off to search for her scarf.  Carol kept a close eye on her while Margene tended to the car.

"Is she okay?  She's hunching over."

"What?" Margene turns.

"Arvilla!  Are you okay?" Carol asks loud enough to be heard.

"I'm fine!" Arvilla lifts her hand but continues hunching over.

"What is she doing?" Margene asks.

"I can't tell." Carol sighs. "I told you we shouldn't have come!"

"Oh enough of that!  You'd rather her be stuck out here all alone?"

"Well, no.."

"Exactly!  At least we have each other!"

"We're gonna die out here, Margene!"

"Well it's been a good run." Margene says scaring Carol.

"MARGENE!"

"Stop it!" She shouts.  Margene had had enough Carol for one day.

Just then Arvilla walks back.

"Are you okay?  What were you doing?" Carol asks.

"Throwing up."

"Oh gosh!"

"I know.. Joe would have gotten a kick out of me puking somewhere so beautiful!" Arvilla looks around and chuckles.

She then looks down to Margene and asks, "Any luck?"

"We're stranded!" Carol says.

"Don't worry.  Everything's fine."

"No it isn't.  Carol Brimm said dammit." Margene looks up to Arvilla.

"I did not!  And don't you dare tell anyone." Carol points her figer at Margene.

Arvilla smiles very softly as she looks around.
"Someone will come by."

The other two women give her a look as though she's crazy.
  But Arvilla knew what she was talking about.  She knew Joe had, and has always had her back.

They came across a young man named Bo.  He helped them, and in return, they offered him a ride.

Carol was not very happy hearing Arvilla decided to drive to California, instead of flying there.  Luckily she had a very easy going Margene, who just went with it.

**

"What do you guys say we stop at this diner?  I'm so hungry!" Arvila says finding a parking spot.

"Yeah, I heard your stomach from back here." Margene said.

Arvilla laughed and placed her hand over her stomach.

"I'm good with whatever you ladies want.  I'm just thankful for the ride." Bo smiles.

Arvilla smiles and rubs his arm. "You have such a beautiful smile, Bo!"

"Thank you, ma'am!" He chuckles.

Arvilla sighs and unbuckles her seatbelt.

**

After placing their order, Bo offered to go out and wash the car.  Arvilla told him it wasn't a big deal, but he insisted.  This was his way of repaying them for the ride.

"Carol, you don't have to watch him like that." Margene said.

"Yeah Carol, he's not going anywhere." Arvilla agrees.

"Well you gave him the keys.  Now he has an option."

"He's fine!  He has an honest face, he won't take off."

"Okay.  Three trucker specials." The waitress interrupts Arvilla with placing their plates down on the table.

"Thank you.." Arvilla says softly.

"And a veggie sand."

Arvilla looks up and laughs. "Are we pigs or what?"

"Or what!" Margene says.

"I'll go get him.  You two start eating."

**

Bo returned with a brand new t-shirt.  They then all sat around talking as they ate.
Arvilla felt a bit awkward when her friends were telling Bo all of her business, but they did it anyway.

**

The four drove together for a while longer before Bo broke apart.  Arvilla hoped one day to see him again.  She wished him the absolute best.

The three women then found a motel to stay in for the night.

Arvilla was of course down.  The nights were always the hardest.  She just kept thinking about how she and Joe wanted to plan a second honeymoon, but never got around to it.

Luckily for her, she had Margene.  Margene was just a ray of sunshine.

"Come on, Arvilla!  You've gotta try it!"

Arvilla laid down on the bed beside her, and the two women cracked up.
Soon Carol joined in on the fun and all that could be heard was giggles.

"I can't!  I'm gonna vomit!" Arvilla laughs.
"I have to get up!"

"No, STAY!" Margene laughed.

"I'm gonna puke on you!" Arvilla laughed hysterically.

***
Sorry for the boring chapter.  I don't feel well, but I tried my best haha.

I really wish we could have seen how Bo's story ended.  If you guys want me to bring his character back for a chapter or two, let me know!

Isn't he adorable?