One day in summer 2019 I walked down a street and passed by bare yard with only a single flowering tree standing in its center. Under the tree a kitten was playing with its mother cat.
As I passed by the scene it felt like a diorama. A beautiful succinct frozen moment.
Your game feels the same way, especially that one moment on the column.
About crying - I have my own past loses and your game reminds me of those. Sometimes a bad cry is what we need, so it is also a good cry.