“The sunshine streaming through the branches makes a tremendous farrago of light and shade. We hold our friendship between us and study it, as if it were the incomplete map of our escape.”
After Bob's death, Fern chose to stay, being houseless - "If I left, it'd be like he never existed," she said, "I couldn't pack up & move on". Some who suffer from loss feel guilty about survival & regard recovery as a betrayal. The pains they cling to is an expression of loyalty. They need time with emotional support, not blame for being stubborn.