I can't believe anyone actually ever "recovers" from a loss like this. You eventually settle into a "new" life without that child but all of the memories, hopes, and expectations of life with that child continue to torment.
One of the most difficult things for my wife is her impression that people have forgotten our son and no longer want to talk. Even after 6 years, the memories consume her days. People do "heal" at different rates but the real disparity is between the parents and everyone else. Friends and even close family members lives have returned to "normal" while the parents continue to struggle and grieve long after.