The lovely summer weather continued into September. Anton and Joke packed their things for a week at Bloemenhof and left. They were looking forward to it, loved being there every time with their dear friends, friends they considered family because they had a real, a very deep relationship with them.

The first person they greeted at the guesthouse was, as was usually the case, hostess Annerieke. They hugged each other and shared in each other's joy at this reunion.

"It has been far too long since we have been here. We last saw each other in December, in court, but after that we pretty much ran out of time at home and haven't been here. I feel like it's been an eternity!" said Joke.

"It has, almost nine months ago, which is like an eternity," laughed Annerieke. "Just imagine how a pregnant woman feels, eternally pregnant with only one child. It's something... I'm really glad you're here. I want to catch up, hear everything from you about the past period. Let's all get together sometime, shall we?"

"Oh yes, let's do that!" beamed Joke, "I want to see and hear from you all, and especially little Gloria. We understood that the childbirth went well, but how are they now?"

"Fine, so incredibly well. You can't tell from Margreet that she has just become a mother. She seems to have just rolled into it. I understood from her that Huib also supports her enormously, not only with practical help, but also urges her to take her own rest in between and also to continue with her hobby."

"Is she still working on those tapestries?" asked Anton.

"Yes, she has almost finished her second big tapestry, a tapestry for Sjaak and Lisa. You'll have to see it for yourself, but I can tell you in advance that I love it!"

"Let's just take our things upstairs, and then pass by the youngsters. Just for a moment, just to say hello," Joke suggested.

Anton smiled at her, quite understanding how she longed to see them all. Upstairs in their room, they picked up the present they had bought for Gloria in consultation with Annerieke, and walked into the garden. At the large work shed, they heard the sound of tools.

Anton looked at Joke: "Huib is at work, shall we knock on the door?"

She nodded eagerly. Together they walked to the open door, where Anton coughed thoroughly for a moment to announce their arrival. Huib turned, saw them standing in the doorway. A big smile appeared around his mouth, making his whole face glow. He put down his tools, and approached them with open arms.

"Folks, how happy I am to see you again!"

He embraced them both at once and turned it into a group hug. Anton slapped him on the shoulder and Joke pulled him close to her for a moment.

"We stayed away far too long," Anton said, "a bit preoccupied with our work, with my work especially, so we didn't even think of breaking out to go see you. Until a few weeks before Gloria was born, then Joke pulled the emergency brake and made an appointment with Annerieke."

" Wonderful lady you have, Anton. Well arranged, Joke, you should do it more often! Come, let's go and see my women!"

Embraced, with Huib in the middle, they walked to the house down the road. They saw that Margreet got up from her rocking chair and waved at them. She came to the front door, and ran to meet them. She hugged Joke, and then Anton, to which Huib pretended to be sorely disappointed and asked for a hug too. Margreet threw herself into his arms.

"Are you okay?" whispered Huib into her hair.

"Oh yes, I'm doing really well, I'm just emotional because of the reunion, I'm so glad you guys came. I didn't even know, they kept it a secret from me!" Margreet turned to Anton and Joke.

"Really, Huib, you didn't tell her?" asked Joke in surprise.

Huib shook his head: "No, otherwise it would no longer be a surprise. I have to be honest, it was a bit difficult to keep it quiet in the last few days. Margreet was so looking forward to seeing you, was quite disappointed that you hadn't announced a visit. And I already knew you were coming this week. But I thought it would be so nice to surprise her."

Margreet gave him a punch against his upper arm, then she hugged him again and said, "I don't even know whether to be angry or happy. I think I'll just choose the latter, because you are here now! Come inside with me, Gloria was just starting to wake up, I'll go get her. Or no, walk with me upstairs, then you can see her little room right away."

The four of them stumbled upstairs, where Gloria was making soft noises.

"Oh, just listen," Joke said as they approached the room. "And look, what a great little room! What a beautiful mural! Did Elly make that?"

Joke and Anton stared their eyes out, taking in all the animals and flowers Elly had painted.

"That lady is a genius! But I have a feeling she would be even more accomplished if she switched to small paintings. I mean, something like that heron with the goldfish, a portrait of just the two of them. Well, that idea just came to me, she will know best herself." Anton turned to the wardrobe. "And this is clearly work by our wood artist! What a nice idea to make such a rod on the outside so that all the clothes hang visibly."

Joke saw what he meant, and took a step closer. Carefully, she stroked the little bird Huib had made at the end of that clothes rod with her index finger. "Beautiful, so delicate, and so free..." she sighed.

They were all reminded of who they had come up for by the little person herself. Gloria started making noises again, looking from one to the other. Margreet took her out of the cradle and proudly showed her to the people who had become like a father and a mother to her.

"And this is our great love," beamed the young mother. "I will change her first."

She laid her on the dresser, where Joke came to stand beside her, stroking Gloria's cheek. "What a beautiful girl you are, and how brightly you look at me. It's as if you look inside me like that!" she said in amazement.

"She does so," Margreet replied, "we notice it all the time too. And the most beautiful thing is when she lies on Rosalie's lap. Have you ever met Rosalie?"

"No, who is that?" asked Anton.

"A toddler, a very special friend of Gloria's. We first met her when I barely knew I was pregnant. She came up to me then, put her hand on my belly and said the baby looked like her and she thought she was sweet. I exchanged email addresses and phone numbers with her mother and started emailing with the mother. At one point they came over, which was great. And then they moved, so they are now almost neighbours of Bloemenhof. Rosalie comes here on her own and goes home again herself, that's how close it is. She comes here daily now. By the way, she also attended the delivery, which was really so special! You will probably meet her this week, then you should see how those two little ladies look at each other. They are almost always completely silent, just looking at each other. It feels like they are really looking in at each other."

"Like they are soulmates?" asked Anton.

Margreet looked back at him fleetingly and nodded. "You're the first to say it out loud, but I've thought about it at times. You then, Huib, has that idea ever crossed your mind?"

Huib nodded: "Yes, I've thought it too, but didn't want to say it because I was curious to see how it would develop. But the bond these children have is not just something. Rosalie also really comes every day, as if she can't miss Gloria for a day, as if she experiences it that way. Hey, I hear someone coming in downstairs, that could be Rosalie."

"Gloria is done here, shall we go downstairs? Then we'll see right away who has come in. Would you take care of coffee or tea Huib, I'll go and feed Gloria for a while."

"Of course, I will! All coffee?"

Joke and Anton eagerly agreed. Margreet indicated that she preferred star mixed tea.

"Will do! Ha Rosalie, what would you like to drink?"

Rosalie, who was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, chose water, as she usually did, but barely looked at Huib. Her eyes were focused on Gloria. "She needs to drink, I guess?"

Margreet nodded. "Yes, you will have to be patient for a while yet, my girl."

"Never mind!"

Rosalie ran to the sofa, grabbed a cushion from it and put it next to Margreet's rocking chair. As she often did, she wanted to sit on it, but was suddenly aware of the people in the room she did not yet know. She walked up to them, held out her hand and said, "Hello, my name is Rosalie and I'm Gloria's friend!"

Joke smiled at her as she took her hand, "Her best friend, I think! And my name is Joke, and this guy here is my dear husband, Anton."

Rosalie looked at Joke, looking at her inquisitively with a tilted head. She said nothing, but she was clearly thinking something. Then she turned to Anton and shook hands with him too: " Hi Anton..." and before he could respond she continued, "You really are a father, a good father!" Not waiting for his response, she went back to the rocking chair, plopped down on her knees and leaned her arms on the armrest of the chair. She looked at Gloria, stared at her closed little eyes, and whispered, "She enjoys your milk, Margreet, she loves it."

Hearing Rosalie's voice, Gloria opened her eyes, looked at Rosalie, let go of the breast for a moment to smile at her and then continued drinking.

"Ooooh, did you see that?" whispered Joke to Anton.

Anton nodded, moved for the second time. The words Rosalie had said to him had touched him deeply. And the contact between the two girls struck him too. "So special, so real, so truly alive... what a beautiful girl, that Rosalie..."

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