When Zoë and Simon got back everyone was awake and they decided that
now was as good a time as any to tell everyone. But before they started
Zoë burst out crying and told Simon that she couldn't face telling them for
fear that they wouldn't let her date Simon anymore. Simon reassured her.
"Zoë, my family have known you for as long as I have and they love you too. They will not take the news any different then I did. They will definitely not stop me from dating you. They know you; they will know you are not the same person as you were. And I can tell you for a fact that my father will do everything he can to help you. So will everyone else for that matter."
"But I don't think I can face up to telling them all I had a hard enough time telling you."
"Then I will tell them. Remember I am here for you no matter what."
"Thank you Simon, I love you."
"I love you too Zoë, very much"
They kissed but were soon interrupted by Matt's 'coughing'.
Simon took Zoë's hand and led her from the living room to the kitchen where everyone was gathered ready to hear what Simon and Zoë had to tell them. They sat down on the two empty stools.
After a glance at Zoë to check that she was ok Simon described to his family the 'truth' (not that Zoë had ever really lied to them) about his girlfriends past.
When Simon was done the whole of the Camden residence (except the twins who were at their friends house) looked shocked. They couldn't believe that (a) anyone could abuse a member of their family like Zoë's family had abused her and (b) that the sweet, calm tempered girl in front of them would do what she did.
After a brief moment of silence Mary was the first to speak: "I know what it's like to do something in your past that you regret. I think it is great that you have managed to rise above your past and concentrate on your future. I for one can defiantly see that you have made that change. And I have the up most respect for you for doing that because I had the help of my family to learn from my past and appreciate my present you have had to do it on your own.
Matt was next up: "I don't mean to cause any upset with this comment but I have to say that in a way I feel that your brother deserved what he got. Obviously I don't know the extent of what they did to you Zoë, but to me any form of abuse is inexcusable and I feel that he got what was coming. Yes, it was a rather harsh form of come back and I am being slightly hypocritical because you hurt him to but you had a reason to do it, from what I can tell he didn't. I am sorry if my view offends anybody but that's what I believe."
Ruthie didn't really know what to say so she just got up and gave Zoë a big hug and told her that she couldn't believe anyone would do anything so nasty to someone as nice as Zoë.
Lucy was the last of Simon's siblings to put forth her feelings. "Zoë, I think I can honestly say that from knowing you for as long as I have I have come to known the true Zoë, even without knowing your past, and I believe that it must have taken an awful lot for you to do what you did to your brother. As I feel that without the help of others you wouldn't be able to overcome a mean streak that would make you act the way you did towards your brother. From that I can surmise that you are obviously not the kind of person who would do something like that often. So I feel that there is no need for our relationship as friends to change."
At this point Annie looked at Eric and motioned that they needed to talk outside the kitchen. When they were gone Simon pulled Zoë close and held her in his arms. He knew that all this must be taking its toll on her, especially as they were the only people she had ever told about this and she would obviously have been worried about what their reactions would have been.
After about five minutes with everyone in the kitchen in silence Eric and Annie returned. They sat down and looked at their teenage son and his girlfriend.
"Zoë we have known you for the same amount of time as our children have and over this time we have seen you build up a strong relationship not only with Simon but with everyone else in our family" Eric started off the conversation.
"And we would be delighted if you would come and live here in this house with us." Annie continued, "Eric and I were just talking and we believe that everyone should know what being part of a family feels like and although you will not be part of our family by blood we will treat you just as if you were. No one deserves to be treated the way you were and everyone deserves to be loved and we love you. We don't want you to live on your own, you have been through enough as it is and you have us now, you don't have to be alone anymore. We will show you what being part of a family really means."
"Do you really mean that?" Zoë asked,
"Yes, of course we do. That is if it is ok with the rest of our family. Kids?"
Ruthie spoke for all of them when she replied, not with a yes or a no. But by telling Zoë that she would never have to worry about them deserting her, ever, cause they would always be there for her, even if it meant that the house was more chaotic and crowded.
And with that it was decided that Zoë would move in with the Camden's. But what would she bring to the family?
"Zoë, my family have known you for as long as I have and they love you too. They will not take the news any different then I did. They will definitely not stop me from dating you. They know you; they will know you are not the same person as you were. And I can tell you for a fact that my father will do everything he can to help you. So will everyone else for that matter."
"But I don't think I can face up to telling them all I had a hard enough time telling you."
"Then I will tell them. Remember I am here for you no matter what."
"Thank you Simon, I love you."
"I love you too Zoë, very much"
They kissed but were soon interrupted by Matt's 'coughing'.
Simon took Zoë's hand and led her from the living room to the kitchen where everyone was gathered ready to hear what Simon and Zoë had to tell them. They sat down on the two empty stools.
After a glance at Zoë to check that she was ok Simon described to his family the 'truth' (not that Zoë had ever really lied to them) about his girlfriends past.
When Simon was done the whole of the Camden residence (except the twins who were at their friends house) looked shocked. They couldn't believe that (a) anyone could abuse a member of their family like Zoë's family had abused her and (b) that the sweet, calm tempered girl in front of them would do what she did.
After a brief moment of silence Mary was the first to speak: "I know what it's like to do something in your past that you regret. I think it is great that you have managed to rise above your past and concentrate on your future. I for one can defiantly see that you have made that change. And I have the up most respect for you for doing that because I had the help of my family to learn from my past and appreciate my present you have had to do it on your own.
Matt was next up: "I don't mean to cause any upset with this comment but I have to say that in a way I feel that your brother deserved what he got. Obviously I don't know the extent of what they did to you Zoë, but to me any form of abuse is inexcusable and I feel that he got what was coming. Yes, it was a rather harsh form of come back and I am being slightly hypocritical because you hurt him to but you had a reason to do it, from what I can tell he didn't. I am sorry if my view offends anybody but that's what I believe."
Ruthie didn't really know what to say so she just got up and gave Zoë a big hug and told her that she couldn't believe anyone would do anything so nasty to someone as nice as Zoë.
Lucy was the last of Simon's siblings to put forth her feelings. "Zoë, I think I can honestly say that from knowing you for as long as I have I have come to known the true Zoë, even without knowing your past, and I believe that it must have taken an awful lot for you to do what you did to your brother. As I feel that without the help of others you wouldn't be able to overcome a mean streak that would make you act the way you did towards your brother. From that I can surmise that you are obviously not the kind of person who would do something like that often. So I feel that there is no need for our relationship as friends to change."
At this point Annie looked at Eric and motioned that they needed to talk outside the kitchen. When they were gone Simon pulled Zoë close and held her in his arms. He knew that all this must be taking its toll on her, especially as they were the only people she had ever told about this and she would obviously have been worried about what their reactions would have been.
After about five minutes with everyone in the kitchen in silence Eric and Annie returned. They sat down and looked at their teenage son and his girlfriend.
"Zoë we have known you for the same amount of time as our children have and over this time we have seen you build up a strong relationship not only with Simon but with everyone else in our family" Eric started off the conversation.
"And we would be delighted if you would come and live here in this house with us." Annie continued, "Eric and I were just talking and we believe that everyone should know what being part of a family feels like and although you will not be part of our family by blood we will treat you just as if you were. No one deserves to be treated the way you were and everyone deserves to be loved and we love you. We don't want you to live on your own, you have been through enough as it is and you have us now, you don't have to be alone anymore. We will show you what being part of a family really means."
"Do you really mean that?" Zoë asked,
"Yes, of course we do. That is if it is ok with the rest of our family. Kids?"
Ruthie spoke for all of them when she replied, not with a yes or a no. But by telling Zoë that she would never have to worry about them deserting her, ever, cause they would always be there for her, even if it meant that the house was more chaotic and crowded.
And with that it was decided that Zoë would move in with the Camden's. But what would she bring to the family?
