The opening bars played, and Michael’s heart constricted. He knew this song. It always made him think of Maria. It would be worse, watching her sing it. She opened her mouth to sing, and in that instant, Michael knew he wasn’t going to survive this.

“Kinda lose your sense of time
Cos the days no matter no more
All the feelings that you hide
Gonna tear you up inside
You hope she knows you tried”

He did hope she knew. He’d tried not to let her get to him. But she had. She’d gotten to him real bad, but she wasn’t his, and his loneliness would tear him up inside. Normally he could handle being lonely. But when you’re lonely and you know exactly what you want, it’s 100 times worse.

“Follows you around all day
And you wake up soaking wet
Cos between this world and eternity
There is a face you hope to see”

************************************

Maria stood there, watching his reaction. He was lost in thought. She wished she knew what he was thinking. But now, as she tried to tell him how she felt, maybe she didn’t want to know.

“You know where you sent her
You should know where you are
You're trying to ease off
But you know you won't get far
And now she's up there
Sings like an angel
But you can't hear those words
And now she'd up there
Sings like an angel
Unforgivable sinner”

He’d nearly killed her, with his pushing her way. While Max and Liz grew closer, while Kyle and Tess fell in love, while Isabel finally let Alex in, Michael had pushed Maria away. She was up here, singing but he couldn’t hear those words. She doubted he was even listening

************************************

He watched her sing, listening to every word, every note.

“You've been walking around in tears
No answers are there to get
You won't ever be the same
Someone cries and you're to blame”

Maria always made him feel guilty. He’d hurt her he realised. But no, he knew that. He’d always known. This made it crystal clear. Maria had changed him and he would never be the same.

“Struggling with a fight inside
Sorrow you'll defeat
The picture you see
It won't disappear
Not unpleasant dream
Or the voice you hear”

He dreamed about her: the expression on her face when he told her he had to be a stone wall, when he told her he loved her too much, when he told her not to miss him. Sometimes, he’d wake up and realise he couldn’t handle watching her heart break again.

“You know where you sent her
You should know where you are
You're trying to ease off
But you know you won't get far
And now she's up there
Sings like an angel
But you can't hear those words
And now she'd up there
Sings like an angel
Unforgivable sinner”

At that moment, everything he’d said or done in the time he’d known her all flew back in his face. Watching her up there, like an untouchable angel, made him feel strangely sick. He was the one who made her untouchable. That was an unforgivable sin. He was the unforgivable sinner.

************************************

“Maybe one time lost
But now you're found
Stand right up before you hit the ground”

It’s not too late! Maria’s heart screamed. But Maria didn’t always follow her heart. Maria’s head could be boring and logical. But most of the time it was right. Her head remembered all the hurt. Her heart could forgive and forget. Her head couldn’t.

“Maybe one time lost
But now you're found
Stand right up before you hit the ground”

Maybe it wasn’t too late!

**********************************

Maybe it wasn’t too late, Michael thought suddenly. Maybe not for them.

“Hit the ground”

The realization hit his stomach – hard. Maria didn’t think it was too late. He could see it in her eyes, her face, the way she sang. Maybe it wasn’t too late!

*********************************

“You know where you sent her
You should know where you are
You're trying to ease off
But you know you won't get far
And now she's up there
Sings like an angel
But you can't hear those words
And now she'd up there
Sings like an angel
Unforgivable sinner”

Maria felt, rather than heard, the last bars. She felt her wet cheeks. She felt her pain. And she could feel his pain. This is killing both of us she realised.

As the final chord played, she forced herself to look at him. His eyes locked on hers.