Everyone has baggage, but it's certainly not Selina's job to carry it for them.
*****
Radio talk show host Selina Locke was just looking for a peaceful summer in sunny Barcelona, but...
( — bruce springsteen; american singer, songwriter, and musician who is both a solo artist and the leader of the e street band. )
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FOUR MONTHS LATER
SELINA ISN'T QUITE SURE HOW SHE MANAGED TO PULL THIS OFF. It took months and months of preparation and quite a load of ugly tears and phone calls, but it's finally happening. She's all giddy with anticipation, unable to sit still for more than two straight minutes, and she's almost certain everyone around her is starting to get suspicious.
Remus is turning twenty-nine today.
He's celebrating it in his favorite place in the entire world with his favorite people—on the stage, with his bandmates and his fans. Selina is tagging along just for the kicks, wearing her VIP badge with pride, and she's finally happy she doesn't need to sneak around the venue.
Everyone knows why she's here. It doesn't bother her in the slightest.
Of course, that didn't happen overnight. It took some time, but, somewhere between hesitating to reach out for Remus' hand on a crowded street where no one was looking at them and kissing him in public, Selina gradually began to feel a lot better about exposing certain parts of her life. Not everyone was out to get her and, those that were, were instantly tackled by a security guard.
She's getting there. There are still some things that frighten her to the point of sending her into a full-blown anxiety attack—that brief moment before hitting the post button on social media, for example, worrying it might be too much—but she'd like to think she's been dealing with things properly.
With her mother out of the picture—both physically and mentally, no longer looming over her shoulder like a threatening rain cloud—it's certainly been a lot easier to breathe. It feels like taking a deep breath of fresh air for the first time in what feels like an eternity instead of inhaling smoke all the damn time. Selina wasn't quite sure how to deal with it at first, but she welcomes it now.
Back to Remus.
He doesn't usually make a big deal out of his birthdays, but, considering he finished writing an entire album in three months, they all thought he deserved something extra special this time. Selina had to call in for multiple favors to make it happen and, needless to say, Cory isn't that thrilled to have her around, but it's for a greater good.
Everyone involved was sworn to secrecy, including the actual surprise itself, and she's ready to throw hands if anything leaks, especially to Remus. She can deal with the press, but she's not ruining his birthday, damn it.
