Still in the safety of their embrace, Huib brought her over to the large table she had been admiring for a while.

"How do you like my latest work?" he asked her.

"Wonderful Huib, really wonderful! I was just standing there looking at it when I came in. You are so good at this! Where do you plan to put this table? It looks so big to me for the dining room or the living room of the guest house."

"Thank you, dear, I'm glad you like it too. I also made two chests of drawers there, they'll be under here on either side."

He pointed to the cabinets next to the table.

"And this, to make compartments in the drawers."

He pulled open the top drawer and showed her how he had used the notches he had made in the shelves to make compartments. He showed her how you could also change the compartments, make some bigger and others smaller.

"Handy! Perfect for small things, then you can store everything sort by sort."

He closed the drawer again.

"I'm not done with it yet, I think I'll decorate those cabinets too. I feel like there should be something on the front of the drawers too. I just don't know what yet. I don't think I'll put the same decorations on them, more like little pictures or something. I just don't know what of, I can't see it in front of me yet."

"Gems," Margreet said spontaneously, and surprised, she slapped her hand in front of her mouth. "What am I saying? Gems? I bet you can't engrave those in there like that. Really funny, how did I come up with such a silly idea?"

"Silly? I don't think it's silly. Erik used to say, that whatever comes up in such a way and you express with such firmness as you just did, that almost certainly comes straight from your soul. So I think you would love it if there were gems on the fronts of those drawers. Is that right?"

"Yes, I think so, just... is that nice for the guest house? Do you think that would suit with it?" Margreet asked.

"No, I don't think it really suits the guest house, but it does suit you."

"Exactly, but then you don't really benefit from that idea," Margreet thought.

"Right wel, because this table is not going to the boarding house, it is going, if you want it, to the attic, to your room."

"To my room?" stammered Margreet. "Are you serious? To my room? You mean you're making this beautiful table with those cabinets for me? Did you really make them for me?" She now put both hands over her mouth in utter amazement and confusion. She looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"Margreet, are you enjoying yourself here? Do you really feel at home here, even in your work?"

"What kind of a question is that!" she exclaimed indignantly. "I think that's pretty obvious, isn't it? I really hope I get a permanent contract after that trial month!"

"Margreet, I love you, Annerieke loves you, Anton and Joke love you, Sjaak thinks you're a wonderful woman, he really does, he told me so just yesterday... and besides that you do your work whistling, no humming, but that's the same for me, you do it well, you clearly enjoy it, we have nothing to complain about, on the contrary! So I chatted with my Mommy about it... and she readily agreed with my idea that we didn't have to wait weeks more for that month to be over. That would be pointless, you just belong here, we think. Your permanent contract is already on my desk, all you have to do is put your signature on it. And because I knew you would start looking for a desk as soon as you had a permanent contract, I started making one especially for you. I saw exactly in my mind what it should look like. And deep down inside I knew you would like it, but at the same time I found it quite exciting. So I'm glad you think it's beautiful. Well, what do you think: do you want that contract and do you want this desk?"

Tears of happy, overwhelming surprise were already running down Margreets cheeks.

"I don't know what to say, this is so special, for me, you're doing all this for me, I... it's just too much!"

"You may suffice with yes or no for now, hey," Huib smiled at her.

"Oh yes, yes, I have no doubt about that, I want it very much, I really love to stay here, and then also such a wonderful desk from you! I'm just so overwhelmed. I never expected this! For me..."

"Come here, my love!" Huib put his arms around her and pressed her tightly against him. "You are the sweetest to me, and the best asset to our guest house. I was so happy when Annerieke and I had decided to give you that contract as soon as possible, and that I immediately got a picture of this desk... That made me sure that it was right, that you would continue to work and live here. When the desk is ready, we'll drag it upstairs with all our power, and put it in front of your window, and when you're ready to come and live with me, in my house, we'll just drag it back down again. Good plan?"

Margreet nodded and sniffed, "Yes, that's a very good plan. When I'm ready...what about you? Will you let me know when you're ready too?"

Huib chuckled, "Honey, I've been ready already, I'd love to move you to my house right now, but that wouldn't do you any good. Don't feel rushed by my desire, I'm not necessarily patient by nature, but I choose to be patient with you because I know you need it."

Margreet understood, and snuggled up against Huib once more.

"It all seems like a dream, too good to be true..." she sighed.

"But it's not a dream, we're both wide awake and we're just going to enjoy the development of our relationship!" Huib concluded. "And around us is a group of people who are definitely going to enjoy it with us, of us, of our love for each other. But... and I do find this difficult for you, and actually also for myself... there will also be and are guests who are not able to enjoy us, maybe out of jealousy, or because they just have a purely negative and destructive attitude. We don't have to be alone in that, we have each other, and we have Annerieke and Sjaak, who will defend and help us through thick and thin against such people."

To chapter 40. An approaching thundercloud

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