Over the Fence (17 page)

When Eva woke up, she didn’t know where she was at first until she recognized David sleeping beside her in the early dawn light. He was still holding her in his arms. But instead of enjoying the moment, she heard a voice in her head saying the previous night had been a mistake. A mistake for which she would suffer because she had fallen in love. The magic she’d been immersed in only a few hours ago was now overshadowed by reality. David already had a life partner and a son, and he lived next door to her parents. Though it might be true that the relationship between Jonas’s parents was no longer intact, it felt wrong to divide them further. She felt miserable at the thought of making Jonas suffer. How could she have let this happen? She should have just said good-bye at the gate to her house and banned David from her heart. Eva had known exactly what was going to happen when she went with him, and she had made the decision consciously. Now, the whole affair left a bad taste in her mouth. She had degraded herself to the status of a mistress and had intruded into a family. She had to leave. She gently broke away from David’s embrace, found her underwear on the floor, and picked up her dress. She put on the still-damp garments in the hallway.

It was very uncomfortable to walk through the house alone. She spotted a notepad and pen on the kitchen table and hastily wrote a note to explain her disappearance. Then she slid it under the bedroom door.

She slipped on her wet shoes, grabbed her purse, and quietly left the house. Dawn had barely broken, but as she crept back home, she still hoped she wouldn’t be seen by anyone.

Only after she had closed the front door behind her did she sigh in relief. She tiptoed into her bedroom, looked for some fresh dry clothes, and went to the bathroom to shower.

Wrapped in her bathrobe and with a towel around her head, she stepped into the kitchen. A cup of coffee and a little time to think things through would do her good. After all, she only had another two hours before her father would get up.

Lost in thought, she watched as the coffee dripped through the filter into the coffeepot. If the circumstances had been different, she and David would have had a chance at a future. But the circumstances weren’t different.

She pulled a cup out of the cabinet and filled it up.

“Where were you?”

Startled, Eva turned around. Her coffee splashed to the floor, followed by the cup, which shattered on the ground. She couldn’t have been more stunned to see Sascha, who had appeared out of nowhere.

“That’s none of your business!” she said, taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart. “What are you doing here, anyway?” Then she remembered the rental car parked in front of the house. She hadn’t thought twice about it until now.

“Waiting for you,” Sascha said. He rubbed his eyes and pushed his hair back with his hands. He always did that when he was nervous.

“You were waiting for me?” Eva felt like her back was against the wall. “Why?”

“Because I have to talk to you.”

Eva stared at her ex-boyfriend, wondering what in the world she’d ever seen in him. “You could have called. If this is about your clothes, you can pick them up when I’m back in London.”

“I don’t want to pick up my stuff,” Sascha said. He stood at the kitchen door looking somewhat embarrassed. “I made a mistake.”

Eva agreed but just looked back at him in silence.

“I love you,” he whispered. “I want you back, and I want to live with you in London.”

“You cheated on me, and now you want me back? Have you thrown your blonde out?” Eva folded her arms across her chest.

“No. I’ve just noticed how much I missed you and . . . I’ve just been a complete idiot.”

“You’re right,” Eva confirmed. “Yes, you have. And if you think I have any desire to live with a spineless asshole, you are dead wrong.” Eva stopped and her aggression vanished. She saw that Sascha was being sincere. She sighed. “Would you like some coffee?”

Sascha looked surprised. “I’d love some.”

Eva poured him a fresh cup and then started sweeping up the porcelain shards strewn on the floor. “How did you know to come here?”

“I called the ad agency, and they told me you were here with your parents because of an accident. I’m really sorry about that.”

Eva continued to clean up the mess.

“Your father let me in and allowed me to wait here for you. When you didn’t come home, I fell asleep on the sofa.” Sascha looked at her pleadingly. “I really regret that I’ve disappointed you. I swear, it will never happen again. I’ve learned from my mistakes.”

“I’m sure you have.” Eva poured more coffee into a second cup. “The milk and sugar are over there.” She pointed at the counter.

“Then you forgive me?” Sascha asked as he stirred some sugar into his cup.

“Yes. I forgave you a long time ago.”

Sascha broke into a smile. “Really?”

Eva nodded. Since she’d gotten to know David, her anger at Sascha had blown over. She even felt thankful. Without his betrayal, she wouldn’t have noticed until much later that their relationship was going nowhere. “Sascha, go home. I’ll send your stuff back to Berlin.”

“But I thought . . . I thought you’d forgiven me,” Sascha stammered.

“I have forgiven you, but that doesn’t mean we should get back together. It’s over. I don’t love you, and if you’re honest with yourself, you’ll realize you don’t really love me either.” Eva took a sip of coffee. “In time, you’ll know that’s the truth.”

“Of course I love you,” Sascha said.

Eva shook her head. “You just think you do. Real love feels different than this.”

Sascha stared at her. “You’ve spent the night with another man!” His faced turned bright red.

“Yes, I did. And now I’m asking you to leave.”

“You know, Eva”—Sascha slammed his coffee cup on the counter—“I don’t want to be with someone who jumps in bed with another guy so quickly.”

“Well, then, it’s all settled,” Eva said. She opened the kitchen door to show Sascha the way to the hall. “Please don’t forget anything you might have here, because I’m really tired of stumbling over your stuff.”

Sascha stomped into the living room.

He came back holding a small overnight bag and stormed past Eva without saying a word. She closed and locked the door behind him. As he ran down the front steps, she leaned her forehead on the cold windowpane of the door.
Why did this all have to happen in one day?

“What’s going on here?”

Eva jumped and turned to see her father standing behind her.

“Did you two have a fight?” he asked.

“Papa, Sascha and I haven’t been together for a long time. He cheated on me and then abandoned me in London.” She walked back into the kitchen, where she took a sip of coffee. Her father followed her.

“I didn’t know that. Should I have not let him in to wait for you?”

“You didn’t know,” she said, trying to ease his mind. “I threw him out. And now, I’d like to drink my coffee in peace, please.”

Her father nodded and sat down in the dining room. Eva brought him a cup of coffee and toast with butter and jam.

“And everything’s all right with you?” he asked.

“Yes,” Eva said, breaking into tears.

Eva’s father stood up. He took her in his arms and patted her on the back. “That was just a bit too much for you, wasn’t it?”

Eva sobbed.

“And I haven’t made things easier for you.”

“No, you haven’t.” She broke away from his embrace and wiped away her tears.

“If I change my ways, can we get rid of Inge?” Her father looked at her hopefully.

She felt like she was riding a roller coaster.

“Well?” he said.

“You’re incorrigible!” she exploded. “And here I thought you’d really seen the need to change. You’re just scared of Aunt Inge.” Eva paused. “I have to go to London, and you can’t stay here without Aunt Inge. Besides, I’m not convinced you want to change at your age or even can.”

“I’m not old,” her father protested. “A little stubborn perhaps, but I’m not old.”

“Nevertheless, we’ll see if I come back after a couple of days . . .” Eva saw the hopeful look return to her father’s eyes. “I said
if
. God, Papa, don’t look at me like that. You know we’d be at each other’s throats in no time. You didn’t talk to me for days over some trivial nonsense. Just think how it would end up between us. You might never talk to me again.”

“Oh, we would make it work somehow.” He waved away her concerns.

“We’ll see,” she said, softening her tone. “First I have to wait and see how everything goes with my job. OK?” Even though Eva knew she would likely be staying in London for the time being, she didn’t feel she could explain it to her father right now. Because then she would need to tell him everything. And she didn’t want to do that. Her night with David would remain her secret.

Twelve

If Eva had had Martin’s phone number, she would have cancelled their date. Now she had no choice but to meet him at their agreed-upon time, even though she dreaded chatting about old times. And talking about her current situation in life was out of the question. In hindsight, it had been a stupid idea to make a date with Martin. She summoned all her strength for the meeting and left the house.

As she rang Martin’s doorbell, she hoped he had forgotten about their date and was on his way to the village festival. Unfortunately, he opened the door a few seconds later and invited her into the house with an effusive wave of his hand.

“It’s so wonderful that you’re here,” he said. “It’s great to see you again.”

Eva shifted from one leg to the other. “If I’d had your phone number, I would have cancelled, but you’re not in the phone book. My aunt is coming in an hour, and I have to be home to let her in. My father still isn’t up on his feet,” she explained, feeling guilty that she was using her father as an excuse. He was quite able to open the door for his sister, but she wanted to be there to ward off a fight between them in the first two seconds. She was also too tense to sit at a table with Martin. “I’m sorry I don’t have more time.”

“What a shame. But come in for just a minute,” Martin said. “The coffee is ready, and maybe everything will go better for you in the next couple days.”

Eva stepped in. It was a very small apartment but quite functional. She didn’t find any personal things in the living room except for two photos of children. Eva examined them. “Are they yours?”

Martin poured her coffee and sat on the couch. “Yes. Elias is thirteen, and Emilie is twelve.” He pointed at the kitchen. “Would you like something to eat?”

Eva shook her head and sat down on the other end of the sofa. Her stomach was in knots.

“The children don’t live with you,” Eva stated, looking around. There wouldn’t be much room for children in this space.

“No. They live with their mother, just a couple of streets away. We’ve been separated for three years,” Martin explained. He picked up a fruit tart and was about to stick his dessertspoon into it but stopped in midair. “Why did you and I break up? Do you remember? I can’t seem to, because we really seemed like a perfect match.”

Eva smiled. “But we weren’t. You wanted a family, and I wanted to escape from the village.”

“And now we’re both sitting here in my bachelor pad,” Martin said. “Maybe that’s a sign?”

After all these years, he was actually trying to flirt with her. This strange day wasn’t getting any better. Eva took a deep breath before she answered. “You have a family here, and I live in London. And that’s not going to change.”

“Are you in a committed relationship?” Martin asked despite her answer.

“Yes,” she lied. Eva hoped Martin would understand that she was rejecting him. She had no interest in revisiting their relationship. The first year after their breakup, she had maintained a friendly relationship with him, but it had fizzled when she moved to Berlin. She still liked Martin, but he had to realize she wasn’t the right woman for him. And she never would be.

Martin nodded. “Are you happy?”

“Yes,” Eva lied again, then took a sip of coffee. She felt as though she were reliving her youth. The same problems had arisen. She was in love with a man from the village. She knew they would never have a future because she would never be happy living here. Martin had never left his hometown. And David was more firmly rooted here than Martin. Why was she falling into the same old trap?

She had quickly gotten over Martin. Working in the nearest city had been exciting, and she’d fallen in love with another man. Thomas. She had been working at the same company as David then, and Thomas was the reason she hadn’t noticed David. Now she sat in Martin’s living room all these years later and thought about David. She would have been better off never having met him in the first place.

She would remember this Sunday forever. First, the wonderful night with David, then the disillusionment that she’d plunged headfirst into an affair with no viable future. Next, Sascha magically appeared in her kitchen, and now she was having coffee with her childhood sweetheart and comparing him to David. He didn’t have David’s charisma or good looks. He sat in front of her, leaning back on the couch, eating his tart, and acting as if he’d already lived the best part of his life. He was stuck in a rut, tied to his roots without any real dreams. At least that’s what it seemed like.

“Martin, please excuse me, but I have to go now,” she said and stood up.

Martin smiled and nodded. “Maybe another time?”

“Yes, maybe some other time,” Eva answered, but she could tell by the look on his face that he didn’t believe her.

They hugged each other good-bye. Eva waved at him before she climbed into her car and drove away. She spent some time puttering through town, driving down country roads, and letting her thoughts drift. She was able to clear her mind while driving.

She realized that she’d failed just as much as Martin had. She couldn’t exactly call herself happy. Yes, she lived in London and had a great job, but other than that?

Eva drove home, put the car in the garage, and walked through the backyard. She didn’t want to risk running into David. Just knowing he lived next door was hard enough.

As usual, her father lay in front of the TV. He was watching an old Western. Eva sat down and let the movie pass before her eyes. Though she stared at the screen, she wasn’t paying attention to the dialogue or the action.

“Don’t you want to see who’s at the door?” her father asked, pulling her from her reverie.

Eva hadn’t even heard the doorbell.

She stood and went to the door. Looking through the frosted glass, she recognized her aunt’s silhouette and opened the door with relief. “You’re here already?” Eva stepped aside. “Thank you for coming.”

Aunt Inge heaved her suitcase into the hall, then hugged Eva. “Don’t thank me. I offered to do this for you.” Aunt Inge winked. “Does he still think you’re going to come back in a few days?”

Eva nodded. “I didn’t want to fight with him. It’s better if I call Papa from London and tell him I’m staying.”

“Well, it was your father’s crazy idea to ask you to help when I have all the time in the world. You need to take care of yourself and your job.” Aunt Inge took a long hard look at her. “You look exhausted. Doing double duty definitely puts a strain on you.”

Eva looked at herself in the hall mirror. She looked depressed, but exhausted? It occurred to her that Aunt Inge was just happy to feel needed. “I’m so glad you’re here. If it’s all right with you, I’ll leave you alone with Papa now so I can say good-bye to Chris and his family.”

“Go ahead and slip out, dear. I’ll be all right here. Will you come back for supper?”

“I can’t say right now. It’s probably better not to count on me.” Eva hugged her aunt and turned to go. “I can always make myself a sandwich.”

“And where is my curmudgeonly brother?”

“Where he always is,” Eva said and laughed. “You can’t miss him. See you later.”

When Eva arrived home three hours later, her aunt was sitting on the terrace reading the newspaper.

“Well?” Eva asked.

“It’s all good. I made him something to eat, and when I decided to come out to the terrace, I asked him whether he’d like to join me. But he’d rather sit in front of the boob tube. How did it go with you?”

“Chris and Kati didn’t know anything about your offer to help take care of Papa.” Eva sat across from her aunt, picked up her wineglass, and took a sip. “I’ll pour a glass for myself soon.”

Aunt Inge waved her off. “Don’t worry about it. I’d rather hear the latest news.”

“Chris was ecstatic that you’re here. And when I told Kati you would be able to take care of Rafael, she was so relieved.”

Her aunt smiled. “It’s going to be grand to hold a baby in my arms again.”

“I wonder whether you’ll still feel that way after a few days of babysitting.” Eva leaned back and angled her legs on the chair in front of her. “And Leonie’s on the pill now because she has a boyfriend.”

“She’s only thirteen!” Inge protested.

“Almost fourteen. And there’s nothing you can do about it, so it’s better that she’s prepared. It hasn’t gone that far yet, but what happens if it does?” Eva thought about it. “Kati’s not thrilled, but Leonie has promised that if she’s really thinking about sleeping with Jonas, she’ll talk to her about it first. He’s almost a year older than her.”

“Is he pushing the issue?”

“Not that I know of. But it will come up sometime, and it’s better this way than for them to meet in secret with neither of them thinking about prevention.” Eva also thought it was too early, but Leonie wasn’t a little girl anymore. She glanced at her aunt, who looked as though she’d bitten into a lemon. “Aunt Inge, times have changed.”

“That’s for sure. I don’t live under a rock. But I don’t have to like it.” Her aunt picked up the wineglass and took a big swallow. “I hope she’s not rushing into anything.”

“Don’t worry. I don’t think anything’s going to happen anytime soon. They haven’t been together long.” Thinking about her niece and David’s son dating was strange. She would call Leonie from London. Maybe she would find out how her relationship with Jonas was going, and every once in a while, she could ask about David. She suddenly felt tired and drained.

“I’m going to pack up and then head to bed.” Eva stood up, kissed her aunt on the cheek, and peeked into the living room to wish her father good night.

Although Aunt Inge was here, Eva could tell her father was in a good mood because he pulled his eyes from the screen to wish her a good night, too.

“Papa! You’re not listening to me! What is wrong with you?”

David looked up briefly, then nodded. “I’m sorry. I was just lost in thought.” It was the truth. Since Jonas had come back from seeing his girlfriend, he had only talked about her the whole afternoon—
Leonie did this, and Leonie liked that.
Every time Jonas mentioned her name, David thought of Eva. He couldn’t help but fixate on all the possible reasons she would suddenly view their night together as a mistake. When he woke up that morning, he had at first thought Eva was in the bathroom. Then he got up and found the note on his bedroom floor.

David,

The whole night was wonderful but a big mistake. Forgive me, but I just don’t have the courage to talk to you about this face-to-face. Please don’t contact me. It would be the wrong thing to do. Thank you for everything.

Eva

Initially David had difficulty understanding the message. He read it several times and still couldn’t comprehend why Eva suddenly didn’t want to have anything to do with him. The evening in the bar and their night together had not only been wonderful but also really special for him. It meant the end of his previous life. He imagined a new start with Eva. Now she was gone and had asked him not to contact her. Maybe she had to think about everything.

Then there was the man he’d seen storm out of her house. Maybe Eva was involved in a relationship and now regretted their night. He hadn’t been able to come up with any other explanation.

What did he really know about her anyway?
As little as she knows about me,
he thought. They hardly knew each other. He’d racked his brain for hours, wondering whether he should have told her about his familial situation. But that was something you normally didn’t discuss on a first date. The topic just hadn’t come up.

“So, what did you say?” David asked, but Jonas just stared at him.

“Are you sad because you and Mama . . .” Jonas hesitated. “Well, because you both . . .”

“What are you talking about? What about Mama and me?” Stefanie would be back in eight days. Did Jonas think he missed her?

“Well, I’ve known for a hundred years that it wasn’t working.” Jonas tossed a tennis ball that he’d gotten from Leonie from one hand to the other. “Because of the separate bedrooms and everything. I’ve talked about it with Leonie, and we both think it would be better for both of you to . . . The fights really get on my nerves.”