As Margreet was hanging out the laundry, Martin and Emma stopped by to greet and thank her. Margreet walked with them to their car, and waved them off along with Annerieke.

"The first time I've waved someone off, and I don't like it. I really hope they come back again. Doesn't this bother you?" asked Margreet.

"Sometimes a bit, I don't like it now either, they are such sweet people! In a week Anton and Joke will go home again. They will have been here three weeks, and they have been here so often, they have become such wonderful friends of ours. I think I will find that difficult, to wave them off. But on the other hand, I know they will come back. And I wouldn't be surprised if Martin and Emma are back in front of us in a few months. Shall we just change their bed and get the room ready for the next guests?"

"Yes, good idea, than the washing machine can get back to work again."

.

When they sat down together for coffee a little later, Margreet wondered where Huib was. He actually always came to the kitchen for coffee....

Annerieke didn't know either. "He had to go away, to a village nearby, I don't know what for, he was in a hurry. But actually I was expecting him back already. Maybe he got held up, he'll be back in a minute..."

"I'm already here, don't worry ladies!" Huib came in cheerfully.

"We won't, you don't walk in seven ditches at once!"

"No, unless I become a seven-legged man, maybe then that will work out. Nice, a cup of coffee, I really feel like it! And I brought some goodies, especially for my beloved women, and for Sjaak, I'll go and get him in a minute, and for myself of course!"

Huib put a box from the bakery on the table. "Sorry mom, I know this can't match your pastries, but I just felt like bringing a treat."

Annerieke looked at him questioningly with a crooked head and squeezed eyes: "Do you have something to celebrate or what?"

Huib looked mischievously at Margreet and then back at his mother, "You could say so. Shall we reveal the secret, Margreet?"

"Don't reveal anything, it's not a secret, just tell it!" Margreet laughed.

"Well, the thing is, a few days ago I got it into my head to tell the sweetest young lady on the planet that I longed for her to be my wife. That was a little too much for that moment, but..." to add some excitement, he made a drum roll on the table with his fingers... "this morning she drove me absolutely crazy by telling me that this afternoon, after she has cut your hair, she wants to move into my house and be my wife! It's all turning out a little differently than I thought it should, but as you know I don't like rules and standard crap, so I'm super happy that my sweetheart turns out not to like that either and just follows her heart, even silenced her brainpan... at least for that moment... Long story short: moving in this afternoon, and for now... pie and... a ring for you, Margreet!"

Margreet, quite perplexed by his speech, now looked at him in surprise: "A ring? Did you go to the village for a ring?"

"Yep, and for pastries, don’t forget."

He pulled out a box from the store they had discovered on the Internet yesterday and opened it for Margreet. She slapped her hands in front of her mouth, "Oohhhh, that's such a jade stone, such a stone we saw on the web yesterday... how beautiful, a silver ring with a jade stone, oh Huib, how beautiful it is!"

Huib laughed happily at her reaction, took the ring out of the box and slid it on her finger. "That's cool, it fits perfectly! I have chosen it by intuition, the size too, and that went well. The saleswoman did say she could customize it if needed, but that's not even necessary. And if you prefer the same stone in a gold ring, then..."

"No, no, definitely not! I think this is so beautiful, so delicate. And that little stone isn't on top, it's in there, that's handy when changing the beds, so I don't break the stone."

Huib chuckled: "You're just as practical as that saleswoman. She was also talking about changing beds, her own ring was broken with it. That's why she started putting the stones deeper in most rings."

"So does she make the jewelry she sells herself? How cool!"

"Yes, she does that herself, she loved it as a child and she's good at it. She's also someone who feel inside what she wants to make, she told me. And because of that, I ventured to talk to her a little bit about your idea of starting my own business, of selling my woodwork. I showed her pictures of what I've made over the last few years. She felt that it also came from within me. It's funny, you never talk to a stranger about these things, and now, all of a sudden. She also advised me to find ways to sell. I should have a space to put things that are ready. Well, we'll see about that. If you guys get an idea, I'd love to hear it!"

He brought Margreet's hand to his mouth and placed a kiss on it. "My wife, in my heart you already are my wife! Unbelievable, you make me so happy!"

Margreet stood up and hugged him. "I'm so happy too, with you, with us, and with the ring, it's too much to contain," she whispered in his ear.

Annerieke kept looking at them for a moment, moved, and then walked over to them and put her arms around the both of them, "And now it's my turn youngsters, this is so beautiful, I'm so happy for you, and with you! I wish you much happiness together, and I thank you for allowing me to witness this. And now I'm going to get pastry plates, time to celebrate!"

"Then I'll look for Sjaak, it's about time that guy starts making a habit of coming here for coffee and mealtimes too."

"He doesn't want to, he thinks he's too dirty for that because of his rooting in the earth. But I think you're absolutely right. He should just put a pair of clogs or slippers in the washing room, then he can step right into them, and he can wash his hands there too, so I don't see a problem!"

Margreet nodded, "I agree, he belongs to us!"

Huib walked with big steps out of the kitchen, through the laundry room into the garden. A little later he returned with Sjaak, whom he had persuaded by the words of Annerieke and Margreet to drink coffee and eat at their place from now on. He even wanted to take off his overalls, but Huib thought that was not necessary. "Come on Sjaak, your coffee is getting cold and your pastry is getting old!"

"Pastry? Do we have something to celebrate?" he asked as he went into the kitchen.

Margreet stood up and showed him her ring, "For sure we do, Huib and I are moving on together! This afternoon I'm already moving into his house."

Sjaak looked from one to the other, then again to the ring on Margreet's outstretched hand. He started beaming, grabbed her hand for a moment and took a good look at the ring. "That's a special one, really beautiful! And how wonderful this is for you! I knew it, that you belonged together, but your pace tops the charts, I didn't expect that! But I don't blame you Huib, a fantastic woman like this has to be brought in as soon as possible hahaha!" They laughed along with him, and Huib confessed: "To be honest it's even more special than you think Sjaak, because Margreet has brought herself into my life. I had told her a few days ago..."

"Yes, you said so, but she wasn't ready for that yet," Sjaak interrupted him.

"True, but she came back to it herself this morning, and now everything is going super fast. Overwhelming, in a positive sense!"

"Extraordinary..." Sjaak sighed, wishing deep in his heart that he would also meet a woman with whom he would feel such a deep connection.

Annerieke handed out the pastries. "Sjaak, will you please come and drink coffee here and eat here from now on? You belong here man, with us!"

"Yes, I already understood something like that from Huib, and I like belonging to you guys, so yes, I'll put some slippers in the laundry room, then I can step in here like that. You don't mind if I keep my overalls on?"

"Well no, except if you might get all covered in mud once, but how often does that happen?" Annerieke asked.

"Actually never, but if it would happen, I'll take it off of course, you understand that! Nice cake Huib, almost as good as your mother's, but of course that stands out above everything else, I must admit, otherwise I won't get any cake in the evening."

"Does she always bring you a piece in the evening?" asked Margreet in surprise.

"Yes, this faithful friend stops by every night when she goes to her house with a delicious slice of her cake. Just imagine, what normal thinking person eats cake every day? Hahaha, that's us! We are really lucky!"

Smiling, they ate their cake, drank their coffee and said goodbye for a short while. Just a little more work, then it would already be time for lunch again, which the four of them would eat in the pension kitchen from now on!

To chapter 48. Margreet feels like a natural hairdresser

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