[Aliantha]

Yeah, that's right Zen. I asked Aden to try and protect M's reputation, because once it goes for a girl in high school, it's likely to be gone for good, and that makes school life pretty tough. I think Aden has a responsibility to do so anyway. It's not the same for boys, which is unfair, but it's the way it is. Still.

monster, yeah, I do try to be impartial as much as I can, but she did become part of the family in a way, and as I said to Aden, none of us broke up with her. Just him. They've still be talking though, so it's not like he's told me I can't talk to her. If he did, then I would because obviously my first loyalty is to him, but M's own Mum is fighting cervical cancer at the moment, and I'm pretty sure the reason M looks to me is because she doesn't want to worry her own Mum. and to be honest, her own Mum is really not equipped at the moment to cope with extra stuff that in all likelihood would be very emotional for her as the Mum anyway. So the door has remained open because we have built up a trust relationship and M and Aden are still trying to be friends anyway, which I'm proud of them both for doing. It's not usually how things like this go.

eta: although I haven't said it to M, I believe that the part of her that needs the security of a relationship is largely because of what's going on with her Mum over the last couple of years. Maybe it'll come up one day. I try to usually just let her do the talking and just add a bit here and there if she specifically asks.