The band's tour was well underway, and the excitement was building as they neared their gig in London. It had been months since Christine had joined the band on stage, as she'd taken a break after the last tour. The band had continued without her, but they invited her to join them for a special one-off performance at the London show, something they were all looking forward to. Christine was hesitant at first but ultimately agreed, telling the band that it would be nice to perform again and to see everyone after so long.The night of the gig arrived, and Christine showed up for sound check, but what the band didn't know yet was that Christine had no intention of going on stage that night. She had wanted to be there, but a recent illness had left her voice in bad shape, and the disappointment weighed heavily on her.As she walked around backstage, trying to keep a low profile, she ran into Jenn, her assistant, who immediately rushed over to greet her with a warm hug. "Christine! You made it!" Jenn said, smiling brightly.Christine gave a small, tight-lipped smile in return, though her voice was quiet and hoarse. "I could be better," she admitted, looking down at the floor for a moment.Jenn's expression shifted from excitement to concern. "What's wrong?"Christine hesitated before telling Jenn the truth. "I've got laryngitis. Doctor's orders, I'm on vocal rest," she said softly. "I only found out yesterday, and I didn't want to tell the band over the phone or through messages. I figured I should tell them in person."Jenn nodded sympathetically. "Don't worry, I'll go find everyone and get them together. You just hang tight here."Christine gave her a weak smile, feeling guilty but knowing Jenn would handle it well. Jenn went off to gather the band, and soon after, she brought them all together. Standing next to Christine, Jenn addressed the group. "Everyone, Christine's not able to perform tonight. She's on vocal rest because of laryngitis, and the doctor has said there's no way she can go onstage tonight. She feels terrible about it, but I'm sure you all understand."The band was silent for a moment as they processed the news, but Stevie was the first to speak, her voice calm and understanding. "Christine, I'm so sorry to hear that. You know we all just want you to feel better. Take care of yourself, okay?"Mick nodded as well. "It's quite alright, Christine. We didn't even tell anyone you were coming on stage tonight, so there's no harm done. We'll keep it low-key."Christine's shoulders relaxed a little. "Thanks, everyone. I'm sorry for the last-minute change.""It's no problem at all," Mick added with a reassuring smile. "We've got it all under control, just focus on resting up."As the band moved on to soundcheck, Christine stayed off to the side, watching from a distance as they warmed up. Jenn, who had been by her side throughout, slipped out of the backstage area for a while, headed to a nearby coffee shop to get Christine something comforting. She returned a short while later, carrying a steaming mug. "Hey, I got you some tea," Jenn said as she approached, offering the mug. "It's honey and lemon with a little ginger, it should help soothe your throat."Christine raised an eyebrow at the mug, a small, appreciative smile tugging at her lips. "Thank you, Jenn. This... this is exactly what I needed."Jenn nodded, reminding her, "Just remember the vocal rest, alright? You really need to take it easy."Christine nodded slowly, her eyes softening. "I will, I promise."Jenn chuckled lightly. "It's the least I can do for my favorite boss," she teased, and Christine smiled a little more, her spirits lifting at the kindness.Christine took the mug and carefully sipped it, savoring the warmth and the soothing sensation as it went down. Jenn pulled out a notepad and pen, handing it over to her. "I'm just making sure I've got everything sorted. Which hotel are you at?"Christine took the pen and scribbled something down on the paper before handing it back to Jenn. "We're staying at the same hotel," Jenn noted with a grin, "I was thinking, if you're up for it after the show, we could grab a bite to eat?"Christine wrote again, showing the paper to Jenn. "I'd love to, but it depends how I'm feeling after the gig."Jenn nodded understandingly. "No problem. If you're too tired, we can always grab breakfast tomorrow morning. We've got the day off, so we can meet up before the band heads out."Christine gave a faint smile, touched by Jenn's thoughtful offer. "Sounds perfect."The night of the gig came, and Christine, despite her vocal rest, still wanted to be there and support the band. By the time the show wrapped up, Christine wrote a note to Jenn, saying that she'd have to take a rain check on dinner—she was too tired and just wanted to head back to the hotel. However, she added that she'd love to meet up for breakfast at 10 a.m. if Jenn was still up for it.Jenn smiled as she read the note. "It's a date," feeling reassured that Christine was taking care of herself.
