My C told me some time ago that it's not uncommon for the spouse who was walked out on to come into his office talking about vows. He said they can usually remember very few of what the actual vows are, but nearly all of them know the "'til death do us part" piece.
He was being humorous, but as you allude to in your post, there's an element of truth to it.
It's something to hang on to, even for those like me (and maybe moreso for someone like me) whose spouse is starting to be open to the possibility of reconciliation.
