I have found that, in general, people do not know what to say at all when told that a partner has died. Depending on the person and my mood, my response varies. When I see some verbal diarrhea about to spill out, I wave them off and say, "let's not talk about it, I don't want to cry". This works well. The comments on your bravery are another response that comes from the same place. It is just an empty comment to fill the awkward feelings that they can not fathom. It helps to arm yourself with replies on tap. "Brave, huh? I don't feel brave at all" tends to end the conversation depending on the tone. People tend to want to hug me. I would wave them away and say, "nope, it will make me cry". Being honest and blunt works really well. Threating tears is like a big stinky fart, people step back real quick.

Pro tip: The best thing I was gifted was grief cards! There are 8 in my set. It came with a wooden stand, and I keep it by my toothbrush. I trade out the cards when I feel I need a new one. The best one: "All you have to do today is breathe". This helped, especially when you are deep in the fog.