Free Over the Fence by Elke Becker

kitchen. “He’s probably got a tummy ache—that’s why he won’t eat.” She spoke softly as she rubbed his belly.
    Eva cleared off the table and made coffee. As she set the cups down, she sniffed the air. “Wow, what are you feeding this little guy? His farts stink to high heaven!” She opened the kitchen window. “I thought baby farts didn’t stink.”
    “He’s going through a phase because I stopped breast-feeding him recently. His stomach will settle down again soon.”
    Eva looked at the time. “Meeting time. Wish me luck.” She grabbed her cup of coffee and marched into Sophie’s room. After a short pause, she came back into the kitchen and sat down again. “I forgot the time difference. The meeting’s in an hour.”
    Kati laughed and shook her head. “What else can possibly happen to you?”
    “At least they’re an hour behind, or I would have already missed the first meeting.” Eva sipped her coffee.
    “That probably wouldn’t have been very well received.” Kati put Rafael on Eva’s lap. “Hold him for a minute while I get some stuff from the basement.”
    Eva rubbed Rafael’s tummy as she’d seen Kati do. “Well, you little fart machine, we’re getting used to each other now.”
    When Kati returned with an armful of food, Eva had just slid a spoonful of greenish mush between his lips. Eva wiped his smeared mouth.
    “How did you do that?” Kati asked, a look of astonishment on her face as she set a head of cauliflower and a bag of potatoes on the kitchen table.
    “I think his diaper is full, making room for more food,” Eva speculated. “At least that’s what it smells like.” She slid another spoonful into his mouth with half of it ending up on his face.
    “Then keep feeding him while I grab a fresh diaper. You’ll watch, right?”
    “No, thank you. The little guy stinks too much. I’ll pass.”
    “Coward!”
    “I don’t want to go to my videoconference meeting feeling green around the gills because I’m suffering from gas poisoning.” Eva shoved another spoonful into his mouth, but her nephew was becoming reluctant again. “I think he’s tired.”
    “Give me the little stinker.” Kati took Rafael from her lap and disappeared into the bathroom. Eva searched for stains on her light beige blouse and wiped her fingers on a napkin before she washed her hands in the sink. A stain on her clothes would have been embarrassing. Her boss would probably doubt her ability to do her work if he knew she was holding a meeting from some teenager’s room and had food stains on her clothes.
    She felt restless and poured herself another cup of coffee. Sitting around and waiting wasn’t good for her nerves. She’d always been like that. She poured a bit of cool water into the hot coffee so that she could sip it immediately and wandered up and down the kitchen.
    “Nervous?” She heard her sister-in-law’s voice behind her.
    Eva nodded. “Give me back the little one, then I’ll at least have something to do.”
    Kati looked at the clock. “You have another ten minutes. Once you’re in the middle of your meeting, you’ll be in your element again.”
    “I hope so.” Eva held her nephew in her arms, and he smiled at her. “When he smiles like this and doesn’t stink to high heaven, I can understand why so many women go crazy over babies.”
    “Haven’t you ever thought about having one yourself?” Kati put the potatoes in the sink and scrubbed them.
    Eva thought about it, then shook her head. “Not now, especially since Sascha and I broke up.”
    “What? Since when? I had no idea.”
    Eva shrugged and stroked Rafael’s little head. “He didn’t want to move to London. So we broke up.” Eva told her the whole story.
    “Well, that’s going to be an adjustment.” Kati started to peel the potatoes. “I couldn’t live without Chris.”
    “You see, that’s the difference. I’ve never met someone who made me feel that way. And what would I do with a baby? I need to