ever marching as to war

Though half-aware that he'd said something, the words themselves got lost somewhere in there. It was like she'd said to Mathias, though, that maybe she still hadn't learned and maybe she never would, but she was — anyone was — better off for it. That didn't help her any now, though, still raw from the loss itself. There was more she could have said, that she wanted to, but as much as she wished she were able, she didn't have it in her to tell him thanks anyway for having agreed to give her away but it, for obvious reasons, wouldn't be necessary now. They'd barely planned for the wedding, but that didn't make it any less difficult to consider that it wasn't going to be happening.

"Thanks," she said instead, figuring that would suffice. It wasn't nearly enough, but it was something, and there was so little to say at a time like this anyway. "For — being here. And all."