I'm glad I read your comment about how to get the ending. Once I understood that that I was unlocking and refilling hearts it helped me grasp the gameplay loop better.
I think this game is really special. It's incredibly cute and charming despite the dark subject matter. My favorite part was changing outfits; I especially like the little ribbon on the halo in one of them. The attention to detail with little touches like that are great.
The fact that getting into a routine of doing chores and keeping busy was key to feeling better rings true. I felt happy to see them recover bit by bit over the days. It was worth it to go back and see it through to the end.