Eva’s mother believed the young boxer just wanted to play, but Eva wasn’t convinced. She’d lost all sympathy for the dog. Eva was more of a cat person anyway. She admired their character. Dogs have masters; cats have staff. Felix demonstrated this time and time again.
Eva took another bite and almost choked when she saw Felix hop over the fence to take a sniff of a hydrangea. She set the sandwich on the plate and started to pull open the kitchen window when the boxer ran over to inspect the interloper.
The cat arched his back, making himself look twice as big. The boxer slowed his pace but continued approaching. Before Eva had a chance to fully open the window, Felix bared his claws and swiped at the dog’s snout. The boxer howled and ran around to the front where Eva couldn’t see. Felix didn’t seem the least bit perturbed as he licked his paws with relish and lay down in the sun in the middle of the neighbor’s yard.
Eva couldn’t help but grin, even though she now felt sorry for the dog—the pain had to be fierce. It appeared that Felix had been waiting for the right moment to exact revenge on the poor dog. After all these years, he seemed to have made it clear: anyone who dared mess with him would pay. Eva was impressed that the small cat could hold his own against a full-grown boxer, even in his own yard. That cat had to have nerves of steel to lie down in enemy territory as if it were his own, especially after the showdown. Felix had developed into a remarkable beast.
Eva was about to close the window when she saw David rounding the corner to see why his dog had yelped. She leaned out the window to see David tending to the whimpering dog. As she took another bite of sandwich, the doorbell rang. Eva walked into the adjacent hallway and opened the door. “Hi, Kati! If you had come five minutes earlier, you’d have seen Felix᾽s sideshow,” she said.
“I want to hear all about it when I get back,” Kati replied, putting Eva’s eight-month-old nephew in her arms. “Leonie, come on!” Kati called. Leonie rushed into the hall and gave Eva a quick half hug before bolting out the door.
“Bye, Auntie!”
“The faster I go, the less Rafael will cry.” Kati kissed the little boy. “Mommy will be right back, sweetie.” She pressed another kiss on Rafael’s forehead and rushed down the front stoop. “Leonie is waiting, so better run quickly. Call me if you need help. Everything is in the bag. OK?”
“OK,” Eva said, with no conviction in her voice. She was afraid to be alone with her nephew even if it was only for two hours.
With the baby in her arms, she stood at the front door and watched Kati leave. “Well, honey, what do we do now?” she whispered and gently rocked her nephew. Instead of smiling, he scrunched up his face and broke into tears. “Shhhh, don’t cry.” Eva stroked his chubby little cheeks and wiped away his tears. “Mama’s coming back soon.” He wailed like crazy in response, and Eva panicked. How was she supposed to calm Rafael and lug all the baby stuff into the house? She pushed the obscenely large bag into the house with her foot while cooing in the baby’s ear. The car seat was on the bottom step. She went down the three steps and tried to put the baby in the seat, but he flailed so wildly that Eva was concerned he would fall out. “We both have to get through this somehow,” Eva whispered as she tried to fasten the strap.
“Need some help?” asked someone behind her.
Eva closed her eyes. The baby’s wailing must have alerted David. Ignoring the cries of the baby, she put on a smile and turned around. David leaned on the fence and waved. The bawling was too much for Felix. The cat had abandoned his sunny spot and searched for something farther away. But the boxer never moved from David’s side.
“It’s OK. He’ll calm down again,” Eva answered with all the conviction she could muster. She turned back to the seat’s straps and noticed she had
Eva took another bite and almost choked when she saw Felix hop over the fence to take a sniff of a hydrangea. She set the sandwich on the plate and started to pull open the kitchen window when the boxer ran over to inspect the interloper.
The cat arched his back, making himself look twice as big. The boxer slowed his pace but continued approaching. Before Eva had a chance to fully open the window, Felix bared his claws and swiped at the dog’s snout. The boxer howled and ran around to the front where Eva couldn’t see. Felix didn’t seem the least bit perturbed as he licked his paws with relish and lay down in the sun in the middle of the neighbor’s yard.
Eva couldn’t help but grin, even though she now felt sorry for the dog—the pain had to be fierce. It appeared that Felix had been waiting for the right moment to exact revenge on the poor dog. After all these years, he seemed to have made it clear: anyone who dared mess with him would pay. Eva was impressed that the small cat could hold his own against a full-grown boxer, even in his own yard. That cat had to have nerves of steel to lie down in enemy territory as if it were his own, especially after the showdown. Felix had developed into a remarkable beast.
Eva was about to close the window when she saw David rounding the corner to see why his dog had yelped. She leaned out the window to see David tending to the whimpering dog. As she took another bite of sandwich, the doorbell rang. Eva walked into the adjacent hallway and opened the door. “Hi, Kati! If you had come five minutes earlier, you’d have seen Felix᾽s sideshow,” she said.
“I want to hear all about it when I get back,” Kati replied, putting Eva’s eight-month-old nephew in her arms. “Leonie, come on!” Kati called. Leonie rushed into the hall and gave Eva a quick half hug before bolting out the door.
“Bye, Auntie!”
“The faster I go, the less Rafael will cry.” Kati kissed the little boy. “Mommy will be right back, sweetie.” She pressed another kiss on Rafael’s forehead and rushed down the front stoop. “Leonie is waiting, so better run quickly. Call me if you need help. Everything is in the bag. OK?”
“OK,” Eva said, with no conviction in her voice. She was afraid to be alone with her nephew even if it was only for two hours.
With the baby in her arms, she stood at the front door and watched Kati leave. “Well, honey, what do we do now?” she whispered and gently rocked her nephew. Instead of smiling, he scrunched up his face and broke into tears. “Shhhh, don’t cry.” Eva stroked his chubby little cheeks and wiped away his tears. “Mama’s coming back soon.” He wailed like crazy in response, and Eva panicked. How was she supposed to calm Rafael and lug all the baby stuff into the house? She pushed the obscenely large bag into the house with her foot while cooing in the baby’s ear. The car seat was on the bottom step. She went down the three steps and tried to put the baby in the seat, but he flailed so wildly that Eva was concerned he would fall out. “We both have to get through this somehow,” Eva whispered as she tried to fasten the strap.
“Need some help?” asked someone behind her.
Eva closed her eyes. The baby’s wailing must have alerted David. Ignoring the cries of the baby, she put on a smile and turned around. David leaned on the fence and waved. The bawling was too much for Felix. The cat had abandoned his sunny spot and searched for something farther away. But the boxer never moved from David’s side.
“It’s OK. He’ll calm down again,” Eva answered with all the conviction she could muster. She turned back to the seat’s straps and noticed she had
Similar Books
