Bob once loved Alice. How far this relationship went, whether Alice knew how Bob felt, how happy a couple they actually were (if they were a couple) are all unimportant.
Alice dies. (Or gets married to someone else, although this isn't as common a version as it used to be.) The point is that the relationship between Bob and Alice, or the possibility of a relationship between Bob and Alice, is over.
Bob will never get over it, will never find a new girl no matter who shows up. Alice was the one for him, and if anyone says he "loved" Alice, he will waste no time correcting their tenses. May be regarded as Excessive Mourning — though it may not, if he otherwise soldiers on.
Often used as a Cynicism Catalyst. Done poorly, can result in Stalker with a Crush tendencies. This old love may not hold up if a Manic Pixie Dream Girl appears.
Often invoked in I Will Wait for You to confirm that the love really is that steadfast. See also I Let Gwen Stacy Die and The Lost Lenore. It is common (and indeed, in many cases, expected) for a Yamato Nadeshiko or other variety of Proper Lady to never remarry after the death of her husband.
Inverse of Second Love. Contrast You Have Waited Long Enough, Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder. Compare and contrast Her Heart Will Go On. Not to be confused with The Murder After.
As a Death Trope, this page contains unmarked spoilers!
