The dance concert was in full swing, the energy pulsating through the venue as John and Christine performed onstage with the Mac. The crowd roared with applause after a particularly lively song, and as the music quieted down, Christine seized the moment."You can't get out of this one, Johnny," she teased, a mischievous glint in her eyes.John, always ready with a quick response, grinned. "Oh, Chrissy, if only my mummy could see me now."Christine's smile faltered, her brows furrowing in annoyance. "Don't call me that, John. You know I hate it."John chuckled, thinking she was playing along. "Come on, Chris, don't be like that. It's just a bit of fun."But Christine's expression darkened, and her voice took on a sharper edge. "It's not fun for me, John. I've told you before, I don't like being called Chrissy."The playful banter between them turned into a heated argument as Christine's frustration bubbled to the surface. "You never listen to me, John! It's like you don't care about how I feel."John, taken aback by her sudden intensity, tried to diffuse the situation. "Hey, Chris, calm down. I didn't mean to upset you."But Christine was already storming offstage, her anger palpable. "I'm done!" she yelled, her voice echoing through the venue.John moved to follow her, but Stevie intervened. "Not now, John," she said firmly, holding him back.As John reluctantly stayed put, Lindsey approached Stevie and whispered, "I'll take care of this." Stevie nodded, and Lindsey hurried backstage to find Christine.He discovered her sitting on the floor by her wardrobe trunk, clearly emotional. "Hey, Christine, are you okay?" Lindsey asked, genuine concern in his voice.Christine, wiping away a stray tear, insisted, "I'm okay."Lindsey raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "If you were okay, you wouldn't have yelled 'I'm done' before rushing offstage."Christine sighed, feeling the weight of the emotions that had led to her outburst. Lindsey paused for a moment before suggesting, "You know, I'm a really good listener. And I give a good back rub. How about this? You can say no if you want, but how about you tell me what's on your mind, and I'll see if I can't get rid of some of those knots?"Christine, feeling a bit tense after the recent events, gave in. "Alright," she said, shifting herself so her back was to him.Lindsey began pressing his hands into her back, trying to soothe the tension. "You're very tense," he observed. As he pressed into her back harder, he gently asked, "What's going on? Why did you storm offstage yelling 'I'm done'?"
Christine remained silent for a moment, processing Lindsey's offer. Sensing her hesitation, Lindsey reassured her, "You don't have to tell me right away. Just take your time."
Pressing into her back harder using his knuckles, Lindsey elicited a sigh of relief from Christine. "You want to know what happened?" she finally spoke, her voice heavy with emotion.
Lindsey nodded, his attention fully on her. "Yes," he replied gently.
Taking a deep breath, Christine began to recount the painful memory. "Do you remember after we recorded tango how John and I just disappeared?"
Lindsey nodded again, recalling the incident.
"Well, after we finished recording, when you lot were celebrating, I got a phone call," Christine continued, her voice trembling with emotion. "It was my brother. He said, 'Chrissy, I have some bad news.'"
"What happened?" Lindsey asked softly.
"Mum died," Christine whispered, the words heavy on her tongue. "I screamed 'no' and began crying. I asked him when this happened, and he said she died peacefully in her sleep last night. I've been trying to call you for a week and a half to tell you that mum was very ill, but you were either not at your hotel or too busy in the studio to answer the phone."
Lindsey listened intently, his heart sinking with each word Christine spoke.
"I called the hotel, no answer. I'd call the studio; they'd say she's busy right now, but we'll have her call you back when she's free. But you never called," Christine continued, tears welling up in her eyes.
