1. Petunia is elated when Joe is alive; however, the work still needs to be done around the house, and the filming of her going about her business seems like a good way to advance that point and the ongoing plot. The plot can continue now that the main characters are ok, Joe is alive, and Petunia is happy. I think it also shows that she does love her life, her man, her work, and all of these have come together with the news that Joe is ok.
2. The elation would still be there if a child was found to be ok, but it's a different love (but, in this case with Petunia, it would be uncondi