Niah whined pushing himself past Jonathan into my

Mycah's voice sounded behind me and he practically begged Evan to wake me. The little family wanted to go back to the bathing pool.

Grunting at the Loss of sleep, I had to smile. A few moments of rest I would gladly give up to have my Little boy here with me. Pushing myself up I heard Mycah's family cheer, now we could finally go!

The walk to the bathing pool was interesting. I soon learned that Damien's family was the lenient parent. Hodlen demanded Mycah and his Brothers walk together. If the boys wanted to see something, they all had to look as a group. It was not stifling, the way Damien and his Brothers had been raised, but it was more orderly. I thought the two families created a nice blend for the boys.

We turned into the tunnel leading to the bathing hall and I was immediately struck by the difference. Every torch in the tunnel was lit. As we reached the main pool, I sucked in a gasp. The place looked entirely different.

The men had installed torches all over the inside of the Large cave. Even the secluded areas we used to use were well lit. There were men and boys in the pool, but I noted several nude families that carried weapons strapped to their thighs. They appeared alert and were not here casually. One of the families jumped into the water as we entered and began to patrol the pool.

I snorted and got everyone's attention. It was the Paterian equivalent of a lifeguard. Of course, these men intended to kill any sharks they found. I actually felt a little pity for any aliens that dared enter this pool.

Hodlen continued to be an excellent male role model. He and his Brothers had brought the boys’ and their own dirty Laundry from the day prior. Hodlen insisted they clean their clothes first, most especially the boys too, although Mycah's family wanted to just strip and jump in.

"You must keep your things clean and in good condition," Holden explained to them.

“Your clothing is dirty and cannot be worn again until it is cleaner."

The little boys Looked at the pool of water longingly, before turning back to Holden. I knew what they wanted.

"I could wash the clothing for Mycah's family, so they can swim," I offered the group.

Holden was firm, but polite as he refused the offer.

“They must learn to care for their things," he told me.

“Life is not like it was in the compound. Men care for themselves and the boys must learn. We will help them, but they will be self-sufficient.”

The logic made sense and I understood. This was a new world and I had a lot to learn about free Paterians.

Mycah's family had never washed anything and that was obvious. The point was not that they did every piece of their clothing, just that they started to learn. Free men knew how to care for themselves and did so independently. This was just one of many things we had to teach them.

Rose's instruction on the use of the camp's washboards were still fresh in my mind. I taught the boys the way I had learned and they did a fair job on the item or two they cleaned. We did most of the work, but one or two of the young ones started to get the hang of it. I encouraged and congratulated them each time they did it right. The boys liked the feedback and tried very hard.

"You do well instructing, Ciara," Hodlen said appreciatively.

I blushed at the compliment.

“On Earth, Jonathan would have been mine to care for and teach. Women do most of the child care where I am from," I said simply. "I enjoy being part of his life in every way."

I saw a faint smile start on Hodlen's face.