The quote reflects a sense of profound loneliness experienced by the character after a visitor departs. The emptiness resonates not just in the hallway but also within her, highlighting how deeply she feels their absence. This feeling amplifies her solitude, casting it in a more negative light.
In these moments of aloneness, she contemplates the possibility of no longer having visitors altogether. This desire stems from her wish to avoid the resultant void that their departures create in her life, suggesting that the pain of loneliness might be more bearable than the cycles of connection and loss.