Margreet was already working in the pension kitchen when Huib shut down the computer at home. As he strolled to the guesthouse, he heard Simon's pickup arrive. He walked up to him, internally already enjoying the little conversation he was planning to have with him.

"Hey Simon, did you get everything?" he greeted him.

"Yes, all the little things did. The furniture from the study I'm going to move tomorrow. Or have you been working your ass off, have you finished my new furniture yet?" It was clear from his face that he was teasing Huib.

"Haha, forget it dad, first come first served, you're not on yet!"

"Gee," Simon swallowed violently a few times, "that does so much for me Huib, that you call me dad! It gets more and more real that way." He gave Huib a firm slap on the shoulder.

"It feels complete," Huib confirmed, "you complete the Bloemenhof family."

"Yes, and soon your little one will make the family full-complete or something," Simon laughed.

Huib interrupted him, "About tomorrow, what time do you want to leave?"

Simon looked at him in surprise: "Early I think, the sooner I'm settled here the better off I'll be!"

"Right you are! And how early is early?"

Simon didn't understand why he wanted to know, but made an estimate: "I think around an hour or... well, after breakfast, that's early enough. It's only a few pieces of furniture, they're empty, so it shouldn't take much time."

Deep down he felt it gnawing, he knew quite well that it wasn't really a do-able task to do it alone, but yes, how else?

"After breakfast, okay, I'll tell Sjaak. We'll drive behind you with our pickup, so you can take everything with you at once."

Huib internally enjoyed what he saw going through Simon. All kinds of emotions passed by like a movie.

"You guys are coming with me? To help?" he asked confused. "That's not necessary boy, I mean, you guys have your jobs too right?"

"Yeah, we never get bored, but that work can wait. Or do you already have other people helping you?" asked Huib naive.

"No, not that, I thought I'd get it done myself." Simon sighed deeply, "To be honest with you Huib, I'm used to doing everything by myself, and I find it hard to ask anyone for help. This morning Annerieke helped me bring in the moving boxes. I found that hard too."

Suddenly his face brightened, "But in retrospect I did experience it to be a good thing! Very good, so on second thought I'm glad that you're offering help, that you're even forcing your help on me, hahaha, you just put me on the spot!"

Huib's grin spoke volumes, he enjoyed this, "We thought that was best yes, to put you in front of a fait accompli."

"Yes," Simon nodded, "I needed that. It's nice that you guys are coming along, it will save me a lot. And it's cozier too, alone is just alone, and I know all about that too!"

The men hugged each other.

"Come, let’s go eat," said Huib, "or do you want the boxes inside first?"

"Actually, I was planning to, will you give me a hand?"

"Ha, you're learning, Dad! Of course I'll help you!"

Together they lugged the boxes off the pickup and put them downstairs in the living room for so long. "I'll bring them up later, tomorrow when the furniture is in the study."

Huib nodded, "Good, let's do that!"

Simon looked at him in surprise, to which Huib explained, "Yes, we will do that, together, we. We'll help you until everything is in place, only unpacking your moving boxes you may do yourself, because we would only get in your way with that."

"Gosh, boy, this does so much to me after all! Let's eat quickly, otherwise I'll stand here crying!" Simon pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket and noisily blew his nose. Grinning they went outside, to the guesthouse.

There Simon pulled Annerieke into an embrace for a moment and whispered, "Your son, our son, he's wonderful!"

Annerieke looked at him in surprise and whispered back conspiratorially, "There you tell me something! I've known that for as long as he's been alive, but I'm glad to hear that you feel the same way!"

"I'll tell you tonight..."

Annerieke nodded, "All right, let's eat first."

.

After dinner Sjaak got a quarter of the cake on a plate to take home. Huib walked next to him with a longing face: "Can I also have a piece?" he asked with a mischievous snout, while he moved his eyebrows go up and down.

"Yes, but not of this piece, Annerieke will give you your portion tonight."

Huib pretended to be disappointed, but then suddenly thought of the conversation with Simon. He told Sjaak how he had handled it and how Simon had reacted.

"Hahaha, amazing! You sensed that very well, that you just had to put him on the spot. I'll also tell Lisa that we're going with Simon tomorrow. For her own safety I will tell her to stay close to Margreet and lock the doors at home. It feels quite insecure, that I have no idea if someone is out to get her. By the way, tonight Marcel and his wife Janny are coming to see the screenshots at our place," he jumped to another part of the subject. "Hence the cake," he added.

"Aha, is that fork in its stem like that! I was wondering... No, just kidding, I wasn't wondering anything." Huib looked at his friend: "It's nice that they are going to work on it together, I haven't met them yet, but if you have confidence in them, I'm sure it will be all right."

"Oh yes, definitely, and Annerieke already had a click with them too, so we have the right people there!"

"Well, good luck then, I hope it will be a good evening for you all!" Huib put his hand on Sjaak's shoulder for a moment. "I'll hear about it tomorrow!"

Sjaak nodded, then they both went to their own homes.

To chapter 163. Marcel and Janny delve into Lisa's misery

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