The kitchen was back in order, Annerieke would get everything ready for coffee on the dining table, while Margreet and Huib walked with Lisa across the field towards home.

Huib changed his mind: "Lisa, would you like to see the desk I'm making for Margreet?"

"Oh yes, you mentioned that," she nodded to Margreet, "yes, I would like to see that!"

"And so would I, I'm curious to see how far you've come," Margreet added.

Huib turned on the light in the big barn.

Lisa walked over to the desk, stroking the top. "How nice and big it is, Margreet! What are you going to use it for?"

"For all sorts of things, but I think mostly for sewing. If I have to cut fabric, the size of this worksheet is ideal for that. Then I just have to be careful with cutting and pinning, or I'll ruin the table top."

"Yes, you do have to be careful of that," Huib jested. "It has to keep looking like new, new as if it's never been used... Honey, it's an object to use, there will be small damages to it by default. And if it really gets too bad, I could sand it again. So no problem, just work on it!"

"You're right, but I think I'll still find the first damage difficult," Margreet thought. "Lisa, how do you like those decorations here on the legs?"

"Cool, so delicate, just like one of the cabinets in the guesthouse, the bookcase I believe, you must have made that too then, Huib?"

"That's right, I like to make decorations in furniture. I hope to get started in business in a while. I hope to get more ideas to make new furniture or other things, for the guesthouse, for customers. Pretty exciting still, what that will be."

"At least you already have it in you," Lisa thought. "And those cabinets, they're part of it too, right? When did you guys go looking for gems again?"

"Tuesday, in a village a bit further on," said Huib, "I'm going to make a wooden knob for each drawer, hollow it out a bit to fix a gemstone in there."

"I think that will be very nice! Also delicate, with one gemstone per drawer..." Lisa thought.

"I think so too," said Margreet. "But shall we go home? I'm starting to get a little cold."

Together they walked home, where Lisa looked around in surprise. "What beautiful colors together. I already thought it was so beautiful outside, so much woodwork, but in here the colors are really warm!"

Huib and Margreet led her around, downstairs, upstairs. Lisa was surprised that the house was so big, whereupon Huib of course took the opportunity to tell what his father had already known from the depths of his soul, that a woman would come to him, his soulmate, and that they would have children.

"I had never heard such things before, but it does sound very cool! Did your father have that more often, that he knew things in advance?"

Huib nodded, "Yes, and I myself have it sometimes too. I think it's great, but also exciting. That question whether it will really happen like that..."

"Yes, I think so too, and then when it happens, it will be a confirmation."

She was silent for a moment, stood thinking with a deep wrinkle in her forehead, and then expressed what was going through her mind, "I'm not ready yet, not for a long time, I think, but I would like to know if I could also find a man with whom I have as much of a click as you have with each other."

Huib smiled, "Lisa, I don't think you are really ready yet indeed. But when you do get there, you will know, you will know from the inside who your soulmate is, the man with whom you will have a real relationship, heart to heart. It will not be perfect, as long as there is injury, but he and you will seek each other's hearts, will try to do what is right for the other. Not as something you have to do that way, but out of a deep desire to love each other."

Margreet stood nodding as he told that, "True yes, of course we have only been together a short time, but I feel it is true. And I know I can discuss everything with Huib, ask him everything. And if we clash once, it will probably hurt, but I also know that we will get through it together. It is very special to know this for sure, that can only come from within. I don't feel as strong as Huib yet, but I am starting to recognize it better and better."

Lisa looked at her watch. "Time flies guys, it's almost coffee time already. Thank you both, you've distracted me and given me hope again. Huib, just a question...a man for me, a soulmate as you so beautifully called it...do you perhaps already know deep down if there really will be one for me?"

"In fact, I'm quite sure. You don't have to look for him, put out an ad, or join a dating site. You may just live and heal, and when your soul tells you who it is, he will be there for you. So you will not have to wait long once you know, Lisa. And I'm already happy for you, it's just going to be totally fine with you!"

Lisa sighed deeply as they closed their coats again. In silence they walked back to the guesthouse. Sjaak joined their little club halfway, silently, so as not to break their silence.

.

That evening Margreet was quite tired. She understood that worrying about her parents had cost her a lot of energy. And so did Lisa's brief visit. She would have preferred to tell her right away that Sjaak was her soulmate, but she was well aware that Lisa would have to find that out for herself.

"When Lisa has healed sufficiently, she will start looking less inside and more around, something like that, and then she will see Sjaak..." she said to Huib as they went upstairs. "Is that also something that just bubbles up from my soul? What do I know about psychology?"

Huib laughed, "Psychology doesn't know anything about this anyway, but your soul does. Yes, this, so completely new to you, something of which you have no knowledge, this comes directly from your soul into your mind. And I expect that it will indeed happen like this. She already sees him now, of course, she deals with him, but one day her soul will really show him."

He put his arms around her and kissed her. "What a wonderful woman you are! So beautiful, so gentle and also so strong!"

Margreet looked at him questioningly: "I can't say I feel that way Huib, sorry, this doesn't come to me as something that fits me. How about that then? Did you make a mistake?"

"No, I don't think so. I rather think there is still too much shit lying on your soul. You will begin to feel in time that you are as I described you. Until then, you will have to get it from my words. It is my truth about you, and it will become yours as well."

They decided to take a shower together. And... one thing led to another... It was different from the previous times. Caressing each other, comforting each other, loving each other, was now more central than taking each other to great heights. No raging passion, but peace. And they enjoyed it, they needed this so much, each for their own reasons, to make each other feel how deep the love between them was.

To chapter 65. From difficult to particularly beautiful

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