And suddenly I've found how wonderful a sound can be
It had struck me during a service. The parish choir of Silverydew had been singing an Ave Maria for Christmas (Caccini, as Digweed proudly explained) and out of the blue the thought occurred to me that they were singing her name. From then on, the word 'Maria' had a magical effect on me. If, in a crowd of 100 people, one person said it, I could be trusted to hear it and to listen up to find out if they were taking about 'my' Maria.
By then I knew I was lost, and lying awake at night, I said her name hundreds and thousands of times, trying to sound nonchalant, unimpressed, indifferent, until I gave up and my voice sounded soft. Pleading. Longing. Loving.