SecMother Karen lived in an apartment near the center of Simmon's Town. It was a very nice area, complete with landscaping in the front of most buildings. These green spaces were noticeably smaller than those surrounding government structures. However, the mere fact that they had lawns and rooftop gardens spoke volumes about the affluence of the people living here.

The building's 'lock was top of the line. It only took about a third of the time that the school's 'locks needed to cycle. Then there was the granite floored lobby, complete with a continuously womanned receptionist desk. Despite Christiana's familiarity with high-end furnishings, the well-appointed interior impressed her. Even the elevators, with their brass doors, were wood-lined with stone-tiled floors. They also had soft music playing, the sound coming from numerous hidden speakers.

After reaching the tenth story on the highest level the public conveyance could reach, Christiana exited. Then she walked over to another elevator and entered it after punching in a code. After getting inside, she pushed the button for the penthouse suite where her secMother lived.

When the lift arrived at the proper floor, she pressed the chime switch, letting her secMother know that she was requesting admittance. Moments later the door opened, granting her entry into the apartment. As soon as she stepped into the large living room with its incredible view, a voice over the intercom announced, "I'm in the nursery."

"She must be changing little Gabrielle-chan," she realized as she headed to the bedroom that was serving as the small matFam's playroom. Gabe-imouto was her patSister and was barely a Colonial Year old. "She's so cute!" she thought as she entered the room where secMother Karen was.

As expected, she was dressing the baby, trying to get the squirming infant into her one-piece jumper. While still focusing on her wriggling Daughter her secMother greeted her. "Chris-chan," she began, "come and help me with your sister."

"Okay," she said as she practically bounced over to the side of the changing table. Then, in an effort to immobilize the little girl, she gently set the child up and stopped her legs from kicking. Upon seeing her patSister's face the baby smiled and let out a squeal of delight followed by a nonstop stream of "ba-ba-ba-bas."

"It's good to see you too," the older kid responded. "Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba yourself!" she continued with a giggle.

Having finished zipping up the girl's clothing, her Mother began straightening up the room while the two sisters were occupied. With swift and practiced movements, the plump Okaa-san picked up scattered toys and put away the baby powder and extra diapers. After only a handful of minutes, the hazel-eyed, long-haired woman completed her task. Then she stood there watching as the patSisters babbled at one another. As she did, a warm smile appeared on her slightly pale and still youthful face. After running her fingers through her straight and currently burgundy hair, she broke her silence. "So... what happened to your wrist?"

Not noticing that the older lady had been watching her as she played with Gabe-chan, she had neglected to hide the bandage on her appendage. "Crap," she thought as she stopped tickling the little one. "I was trying to keep it hidden from the adults since it should be better by Monday."

Deciding that it was best to tell the truth, she answered, "I hurt it during this morning's practice. It was my fault and not sensei's." She explained while glancing over at her secMother. Because she was looking the woman in the eyes, she hoped that the young Mother could sense her sincerity.

"Ok, but you need to be more careful, missie," the older woman responded. "That last thing anyone wants is for you to have a serious injury. Come on, let's go out to the living room. I know how much you like the view." Then, after scooping up the infant in her arms, she left the chamber. After shrugging, she exited the nursery as well.

"Be a love and grab us some iced tea. I need to get Gabby set up in her playpen," the secMother stated as she began setting up the small play area.

"Sure," Christiana said as she crossed the large living room. "Where's Athena?"

"I gave her the afternoon off since you were visiting," the young Mother replied, her voice faintly audible from the other chamber. However, the dwelling's system automatically relayed their voices so that they could continue their conversation throughout the entire apartment. That was why she clearly heard the older woman's speech through the speakers in the kitchen.

"Oh, so you wanted me to do all of her work while I'm here," the girl said with a giggle. Meanwhile, she was taking two glasses out of the hardwood cabinets. Then, after putting in ice from the dispenser, she filled them with liquid from the large tea pitcher that she took from the refrigeration unit.

Her secMother's instant reply was also in a playful tone, "No silly, I wanted to talk with you in private."

Athena was secMother Karen's only full-time staff. She served as a combination of a nanny, housekeeper, cook, and security officer. While the young woman's salary was expensive, it paled compared to the cost of four specialized staff. Plus, she performed all of her duties to a very high standard. Her secMother had been very lucky when she hired her. After all, she was saving up for a house of her own to shelter her slowly growing matFam.

After putting the pitcher away, then she grabbed the two glasses, left the kitchen, and sat on a sofa near her secMother. When the woman finally finished setting things up and placed the gurgling baby inside, Christiana handed her a glass of tea.

Happily sitting next to her secMother and patSister she looked out the floor-length windows. From here, she had a wonderful view of the east side of Simmons Town. From the verdant rooftop garden located five floors below to the Lyons River, which was almost lost in the haze, the entire township was laid out before them. Christiana never tired of coming here and looking at the spectacle with her second Mother.

"I'm going to miss this when you move out," she murmured.

"I will too," the older lady replied, also in a whisper. "However, the one constant in life is change. It's unfortunate, but that's just the way things are."

With that, she reached over and wrapped her arm around her patDaughter. The girl responded by snuggling up to secMother Karen. The wistful look on the child's face quickly turned into an expression of serene happiness. 'I wish Haruhi-nee was here to enjoy this too,' she thought as she enjoyed the warmth of her secMother's body. She felt more secure and safe than she had in weeks as she inhaled the slight perfume that her secMother always wore.

"So, kiddo," her second Mother began, "Holly tells me you gave her a silly excuse about why you don't want to be your Brother's Keeper. She hoped you would be more truthful with me."

Holly was her Okaa-sama's given name, and since no one called the woman that in her Daughter's presence, it took Christiana a few moments to realize who her secMother was referring to.

"Umm I wasn't exactly silly," she responded, squirming in her seat. "I merely asked her a question which she did not answer."

"Sometimes I think you are too smart for your own good, kid," the burgundy-haired woman retorted. "Of course Holly realized what you were doing. You may be incredibly sharp for a fifteen-Year-old, but she has you beat in the experience department. Heck, I have trouble verbally sparring with her and I am over twice your age."

That statement took the girl by surprise. SecMother Karen was the senior vice president in charge of Washington Refining. However, she had started as a director while attending college. While she had received that position by marrying into the House, she had climbed her way up to her current job on her own merit. Since she accomplished this while also actively serving as a secMother showed just how competent she truly was.

For this outstanding young woman to admit that she had issues when it came to debating with her progenitor was eye-opening to the girl. Over the past few days, she had learned quite a bit about her Okaa-sama, and the more she learned the more remarkable the woman became.

"Do you really?" she asked.

"Do I really what?" Christiana retorted.

"Do you really have trouble discussing things with Mother?"

Upon hearing this, the woman let out a chuckle. "Not all the time," she answered. "But she knows a lot about business that I don't, despite my advanced degrees in the field. Studying is one thing, but having decades of experience using that knowledge is quite another. I even consider Holly a bit of a corporate genius."

Then a thought struck the girl. "If Mother is that sharp, then why isn't she working at a large company in Cooper's Landing or Planetfall?"

"That's because copper is in her blood... and I don't mean her red hair and freckles!" After both of them laughed, she continued. "The Washingtons have been in the mining business ever since the Second Wave landed and began settling this part of the continent. That's a very ancient and proud tradition. An institution that Holly couldn't simply abandon."

After taking a drink of her iced tea, the youthful lady proceeded. "You probably don't realize just how important copper is to our civilization. We haven't built a large power grid like they used to have at one point on Old Earth. Therefore, we do not rely on high voltage aluminum cables for energy transfer over enormous distances. Instead, our decentralized system uses much shorter copper cables for electricity distribution. This is because there is less aluminum on the crust of Cooper's World and because we often utilize local natural resources to generate power."

"As a result, the Washington mines, refinery, and cable production companies play an important role in our colonial civilization. Thus the people in charge of the largest corporation in the entire industry must have outstanding business skills." Then after another drink of tea, she went on, "I bet you didn't know that she is a major player in the stock market besides running her companies."

"No, I wasn't aware of that," the girl responded, finally taking a drink from her own glass. "She never mentioned it."

"Holly is very good at it," her secMother explained. "In fact, she could retire right now and never work another Mainday in her life and still live in luxury for five hundred Years."

"What? Then why is she such a cheapskate compared to our patMothers?" Christiana asked without thinking.

The older woman merely laughed in response before continuing. "That's because of the Washingtons' long and proud history of self-reliance. As Holly would say, 'Nothing is as important as achieving your goals through hard work!'"

The girl could not help but laugh at her secMother's terrible impression of her progenitor.

"Yeah, the way she says it is pretty funny, isn't it?" the woman joked. "However, it was how she was raised and it has had quite an impact on how she thinks. She only gives you 'the bare necessities.' The sad truth is that many members of the working-class would love to have those 'necessities.'"

"I understand that Mother has those rules, but she does not stop you from giving me gifts," the girl pointed out.

"Hah! Like Hell she doesn't!" the person who raised her exclaimed. "Ever since I started earning a good salary, I have tried to help you and Haruhi-chan as much as I could. Holly had different ideas. She told me that I should set up personal trust funds for both of you. Then, every time I wanted to buy you girls something, I should take those credits and put them into your inheritance."

After taking another drink from her glass, she continued. "I've already deposited enough creds in those accounts for you both to purchase modest houses. Of course, that doesn't include the money that I plan on adding over the next eight Years. Nor is the interest from the investments backing those trusts included. You will both be quite wealthy on the day you turn twenty-three."