#Leonie is a woman in her 40s, she could be your neighbor. After her divorce, she builds her new life. With neighbor Mandy she has dinner appointments of the good kind: Mandy cooks! Love also comes around the corner again, with all the consequences that this entails..

Leonie was standing in the kitchen and was making a dessert for her dinner appointment at Mandy's. She had reviewed all sorts of complicated recipes, but had finally decided to make it easier for herself. She had chosen a fast tiramisu, with mascarpone, whipped cream, long fingers, some liqueur and raspberries. She was just messing with the glasses and whipped cream when her phone rang. She licked the whipped cream off her finger, quickly wiped her hands on the kitchen towel and picked up her phone. - Ilse. - Yeah. “Hey Iels,” she said as she tried to clamp the phone between cheek and shoulder so she could continue with her dessert. “Hai hai! How are you?” Ilse asked. “All right, I'm in a fight with whipped cream and raspberries right now,” said Leonie. “And... further?” Of course, Leonie knew what Ilse meant. She wanted to know how she was doing in the whole Mandy situation. “Yes, furthermore... it really is a rollercoaster. I want it and I don't want it. Do you understand that?” It was quiet on the other side of the line. “Yes, I think I get that.” Leonie continued: “I think I'm really in love. To Mandy. To a woman. And in itself I feel great about that, it's exciting, Mandy is sweet to me, I feel loved and beautiful and all... and on the other hand there are my kids and family and stuff. Anyone who knows me as a woman who likes men. And I just got divorced, that was a shock to everyone. I don't want my kids to have a hard time when they have to process and accept this, and I don't want everyone to think that lightning struck me after my divorce, that they reject me, that they don't accept me. And maybe it's a phase. So for now, I won't tell anyone about this. You keep your mouth shut, huh? To everyone!” she pressed Ilse on the heart. “Also against Vincent,” she added. “Sure. I won't tell anyone, not even Vincent. And I understand your point. Many people will indeed have something to say about it. You take it easy and discover your feelings. Give it time.” Leonie smiled gratefully. What a lovely friend Ilse was! “And how is it with you?” Suddenly Leonie realized that Ilse's marriage wasn't really quiet. “Yes, it is. In that sense, I might be in the same phase as you. For the outside world, I don't want to say anything, because I'm just not out yet, and I don't want to think about it, actually. And like you, I want to spare my children grief.” Ilse sounded a lot less happy now. “Okay,” said Leonie. “I understand. In that respect, we are in something very different, but perhaps it is more the same than we think. And you can always talk about it with me, don't you? Just call me, no matter when. And you can always come by,” concluded Leonie. “I know, well, you go on fighting with raspberries and whipped cream and behave!” Ilse sounded cheerful again. They both laughed. “I behave exemplary,” said Leonie. For a moment it was quiet on the other side of the line. “How is that actually, I mean, with a woman, making love?” Leonie felt that she was blushing. “I don't know,” said Leonie, she noticed that her voice was suddenly hoarseness. “We're not that far yet, we just kissed something and stuff, and that's without stubble so, haha, pretty nice, very soft, but... uh... I have no idea otherwise actually. I am a bit afraid of that too”. “I get that,” said Ilse, who now didn't know much to say either. “Well, calm down and don't do anything you don't want”. “I do, I do,” Leonie ended the conversation.


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