Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were a real-life couple who spent years making people laugh on their 1950s television show “I Love Lucy.” Though they divorced in 1960, they remained close until Arnaz passed away in 1986 following a battle with lung cancer. Now, his final words to Ball before his passing have been revealed.

Doctors told the Los Angeles Times after Arnaz died at 69 that his habit of smoking Cuban cigars played a huge role in his eventual death. Arnaz reportedly had to undergo surgery for complications from diverticulitis (inflammation of the intestinal tract a few years before his passing, and he’d had many other surgeries related to the physical toll his smoking took on him.

After he died in December of 1986, Ball released a brief statement saying that she was glad that he was no longer suffering.

“Mr. Arnaz had been ill with cancer for many months, and my family and I have been praying for his release from this terrible ordeal,” she said. “Desi died early this morning in his daughter’s arms. Our relationship had remained very close, very amiable, over the years, and now I’m grateful to God that Desi’s suffering is over.”

Lucie Arnaz, daughter of Ball and Arnaz, said that her parents spoke for the last time two days before her dad died in a phone call on what would have been their 46th wedding anniversary.

“I just shut the door and let them have their time together,” she said. “I started them off, like two kids on a first date.”

Arnaz’s last words to Ball were that he loved her and that he wished her good luck on a television appearance that she had coming up. Lucie eventually had to come hold the phone up to his ear because he was so weak.

“I had to hold the phone,” said Lucie. “I couldn’t get out of the room. And he said, ‘I love you, too, honey. Good luck with your show.’”

The Associated Press reported that when Ball attended Arnaz’s funeral, she stopped outside the church to say that he was ″a great, great showman.″

″Just look at the stuff he’s done over the years,″ Ball said. ″It’s on three or four times every day. He was a great part of our innovation in this business.″