The ladies hit the nail on the head: he's still in love with his late wife: even if she was reincarnated as an elementary school girl. After nearly 39 years married, my wife and I had a blow up, she told me to leave, so I did. After a year of separation, she divorced me, but, less than a year after the divorce was finalized, she died.
As many arguments as we had, I still miss her, and yeah, I still love her.