The tour was a unique one—Lori had rejoined the band, and instead of the usual two backing singers, they now had three: Sharon, Marilyn, and Lori herself. The new dynamic was exciting, adding extra layers to the band's already powerful vocal presence.
One evening, after a particularly high-energy gig, the band's fitness coach pulled Christine, Stevie, Lori, Sharon, and Marilyn aside.
"There's a bug going around," she warned, her tone serious. "It's causing sore throats, and you guys are the ones at the most risk since you're singing onstage every night. Be careful—hydrate, rest your voices when you can, and don't push yourselves if you start feeling under the weather."
The group nodded, taking her words to heart. They had a packed schedule, and none of them wanted to be sidelined by illness.
Everyone did their best to be cautious—drinking tea with honey, avoiding cold drinks, and making sure to warm up properly before each show. However, despite their best efforts, Christine overheard a conversation between Stevie and Lori before soundcheck one evening.
"I can't go on tonight," Lori admitted quietly to Stevie. "My throat is killing me. I don't want to make it worse."
Stevie, though clearly concerned, nodded in understanding. "Take it easy, rest your voice," she said. "We've got Marilyn and Sharon to cover, so we'll be okay."
Christine knew Lori rarely pulled out of a performance unless it was absolutely necessary, which meant she must have been feeling awful. Without hesitating, Christine went to find Jenn.
When she spotted her assistant backstage, she gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Jenn, I just overheard Lori telling Stevie that she's sitting out tonight—her throat is really bothering her. I was wondering... would you mind going to grab some tea for her? Extra honey, to help soothe her throat."
Jenn, always willing to help, nodded without hesitation. "Of course, I'll go now."
As the band took the stage for soundcheck, Jenn returned with the tea. She found Lori sitting next to Karen backstage. Karen had a hand on Lori's forehead, checking for a fever.
"You're not running hot," Karen said reassuringly. "It's probably just a common sore throat. If you rest your voice, you'll probably be fine in a day or two."
Before Lori could respond, Jenn stepped forward and handed her the tea. "Christine overheard you talking to Stevie and thought you could use some tea with extra honey to help your throat," she said with a warm smile.
Lori gave a small smile in thanks, not wanting to risk making her throat worse by talking.
Karen glanced at Jenn, then shook her head with a small chuckle. "Christine really is something else. She always looks out for people, doesn't she?"
Jenn grinned. "Yeah, she does."
As the gig was about to begin, Stevie took a moment to address the crowd. "Just a quick announcement—Lori won't be joining us onstage tonight. She's feeling under the weather and needs to rest, but she'll be back in a few days."
The audience responded with cheers of support, and the show went on without a hitch.
Just before the encore, Lori sent a text to Karen: *I'm exhausted. Heading back to the hotel early. Let everyone know.*
Karen glanced down at her phone and nodded before looking over at Lori. "Take it easy, okay? Just rest."
Lori nodded in acknowledgment before quietly slipping out of the venue.
