Ohh the voice of this is gorgeous. Such a beautiful refrain wrapped around so many sucker punches:

What he did think, though... was that in truth he had done nothing to rescue her. Nothing at all. He had just been there.
...
John tries not to wonder about the odd bits and pieces he wiped up or picked up around the house in those last days. A streak of red mud low on the wall by Sammy's nursery. A few leaves tied together with red yarn. What he thought was one of Mary's earrings, minus its wire hook. A small striped rock with a few lines scratched in it. An old coin.

Oh< Mary; oh John, oh all of them. *sniffles*