The train ride is a little over half an hour, and the scenery changed dramatically. Gone are the tall buildings. Beautiful green fields have replaced it. The town centre is quaint and small, with people riding bicycles everywhere.

Daniel removes his suit blazer and has a satchel around his torso. He has pulled up his white shirt to the middle of his arms and he looks relaxed while walking down the street next to me with his hands inside his pockets.

"So, where are you from?" I ask.

"Here."

His demeanour is casual but his mannerism still formal. Did he mean this town or Germany? I guess he is not keen on engaging in idle chitchat with the girl that cried her eyes out in front of him this morning. I resume my silent inner monologue and follow him down the street.

"Why do you speak Italian?"

I turn my head in surprise at the question.

"Did you learn in school?" He eyes me with curiosity.

"How do you know I speak Italian?"

"You told me yesterday in the canteen. You are fluent in English and Italian, but not German."

I recall my own words and smile at my forgetfulness. "My mother, she's Italian."

"But your surname is English, no?"

I nod. "My father is supposedly English. I wouldn't know. All I have is a name in the birth certificate and a surname my mother was intent on keeping."

Daniel's eyes linger on me. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Why? I'm fine. I have the best mother in the world. She has fulfilled both roles pretty well."

We reach a brick colour building with three storeys. I can immediately see an inner courtyard. It looks everything that I could hope for, but I immediately starting wondering how on earth am I going to pay for it.

"We're here." Daniel takes some keys from his pocket and opens the building door.

"You have a key?"

He laughs. "I live on the top floor."

He rings the doorbell to the flat on the left-hand side. A rather large ginger-head lady opens the door and greets him warmly. Daniel points to me. She nods and gathers her key set.

"You'll be just across, on the right." He says, and I look at the blue door. I love blue doors.

The lady smiles at me and walks to open the door. "Daniel, du führst sie herum." (Daniel, you show her around.)

Daniel nods and gestures for me to walk inside.

"It's not a big place. But this is a friendly neighbourhood and you have everything you need within walking distance."

I walk in and see to my right a small space with a desk, a closet and a single bed. Across an arch is a tiny kitchenette, and the bathroom that weirdly is divided as an old English home, with the loo separate from the rest of the bathroom. Behind the kitchen is a door. Daniel opens it and it leads to the small patio.

"You share this with them, but they don't use it often. Make as much use as you want. Just no loud parties."

I chuckle and take a few steps into the patio and hear the birds in the tree chirping.

"Look up." He directs my attention to the top floor. "That's me, if you want some sugar."

I laugh. "Penthouse, hey?"

He smiles. "I'm spoiled for choice."

"How much?"

Daniel puts his hands inside his pockets and ponders for a second. "How much can you afford?"

"Nothing!" I laugh with my candour. "Seriously, how much is it?"

"How much can you afford?" he insists.

I stare at him and see he how serious he is about it. "You negotiated with her what I can afford?"

He looks away momentarily. "It's easy to negotiate with your own parents."

"She's your mom?"

"I told her a friend was in trouble and needed a place to stay for the next six months. We run this place as an Airbnb anyway, so it doesn't matter to her, and she is always happy to help young troubled foreigners."

I'm overcome with emotion and lunge my body to embrace Daniel. He takes one step back, clearly stunned at the gesture, but eventually returns the embrace.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." I whisper.

I can feel him smile. "No problem."

I withdraw my embrace and blush at our proximity. "I can pay 600 euros this month, but can't afford a deposit..." I sigh embarrassedly. "But I can pay back next month more and the deposit once I get my first paycheck."

"Don't worry about the deposit. The 600 euros is fine."

He hands me out the key. "You need me to sign something?"

"Ja, my mother will give you some paperwork to sign, a contract for six months."

I look at the key in my hand. "Do you think I could move in today?"

"You want to move in today? That means going to Dusseldorf and back."

"I need to leave today. I'll get my stuff. By the time I'm back, I can give you the money, sign the contract and just stay here for the night."

"Give me one moment." He walks back inside and speaks with his mother.

I observe her mannerism, and how friendly she looks, and how Daniel has her eyes.

Daniel makes his way back outside. "Okay, let's go."

I frown. "What do you mean, let's go? I'm going alone."

Daniel shakes his head. "No way. I'm driving you there. We'll get your things and come back in time for dinner."

I snort. "Dinner?"

"With my parents. My mother insists." Without another word, he walks back inside his parents' place, leaving me to look around my place. I feel guilty about how harsh I've been with Daniel during the first few days.

Within one hour we are back and I even have time to make Daniel stop in a supermarket to buy some flowers for his mother, and some ice cream. We arrive back at the apartment and soon after dropping my things inside the new place, Daniel's mother invites me in a hushed gesture to join them for dinner. I present her with the flowers and she grins.

"I guess she doesn't speak English?"

"Very little. Majority of people here don't speak English, so it will be a steep learning curve for you."

His parents are simple and kind. Throughout the night, we communicate through gestures and Daniel mediates as a translator. His mother serves a delicious roast beef stew accompanied by boiled potatoes. Daniel calls it Sauerbraten.

We laugh at my pronunciation efforts and his father's constant "You like?" rhetoric.

Daniel looks just like his father, just slightly taller. They both have the same smile, facial expressions and mannerism and even the haircut is the same.

"Daniel, vergiss nicht, ihr die Tür zu zeigen," his father announces. (Daniel, don't forget to show her the door)

"Come, I need to show you something at the apartment." We both get up and he asks for the keys.

"Wait." I walk over to his mother and hug her. "Danke, danke."

She pats me warmly in the back in recognition. I turn around and see Daniel staring at me.

"What?" I ask.

He shakes his head with a smile. "I never thought English were so hug prone," he says amusedly.

I roll my eyes. "Did you forget that I'm half Italian? We are prone to hugs. So get used to it." I say with a spring in my step while following his hearty laughter outside the door or my new apartment. I still can't believe I'm saying these words.

"This door sticks sometimes and gets really difficult to open. You need to twist it gently and pull with strength." He shows it to me. "Now you try it."

He closes the door and hands me the keys back. I do it as he showed, but can't open the door. I grunt in frustration, and he laughs.

"You have little patience." He takes his hand and places over mine and turns the nob. "Like this. You'll get the hang of it."

We enter the apartment, and Daniel stands awkwardly. "Do you need anything? Towels or linen for the bed? I have some I can give."

"Yes, please."

"I'll just go up. I'll be back in five minutes."

"I'll get the ice cream ready."

Daniel disappears and I'm left alone in the apartment. For the first time since my arrival, I feel at home and feel some warm German hospitality. Daniel returns quickly and hands me some linen and towels. He also brings coffee, tea and sugar.

"Wow, you are really doing the whole Superhost thing."

He laughs. "Don't forget to rate us."

I look for bowls and spoons and take some ice cream for us to share. We both seat at the small kitchen counter and eat spoonfuls in silence. "I can't express how grateful I am for all your help."

He hums. "Just promise me something."

I nod eagerly. "No more crying in the middle of the Strasse."

"Deal." I take another spoon of ice cream and allow it to melt away on my tongue.

"Do you think you can find your way tomorrow morning for work?" he asks.

I hum. "I think so."

Daniel stares at me awkwardly as I lick my spoon without thinking.

"You think, or are you sure?"

I shrug. "I'll find my way."

"Maybe tomorrow you can come with me? I don't like the 'I'll find my way' response."

I cock my head and squint before smiling. He frowns in response.

"I'm not joking."

"Oh, I know. That's why it's amusing." I chuckle. "You must think of me as hopeless, but then again, I've been pretty hopeless from the moment we've met." I say and swirl the spoon to get the last bit of the ice cream that is now melted.

"I leave quite early. We need to catch the 7.15 train."

I hum content as I eat the last spoonful of the marvellous bowl of clotted cream. "That's fine."

Daniel smirks and takes the bowl and spoon to the sink. He opens the tap.

"Leave it. I'll wash it."

He nods and wipes his hands on a small yellow cloth near the stove.

"Okay, so I'll be outside your door at 7am."

I get up to see him out. "Daniel, is it really true? People around here don't speak English?"

He shrugs. "The younger generation most likely, but people like my parents or older, doubtfully."

I stare undecided. "Daniel?"

He hums in response.

"Can I ask you another favour? And you can say no. I mean, I'm a handful here..."

"Do you know you talk too much?" He brushes his hair. "What do you need? Just ask."

I gulp, suddenly nervous. "Can you teach me German?"

He smiles broadly before opening the door. "Natürlich. Goodnight."

I smile. "Goodnight," and close the door.

I glance around the small apartment and squeal in excitement. I decide to do a WhatsApp call to mom so she can see the place and realise that my phone has been standing still on the nightstand for the last couple hours. Once I open it, I see a stream of messages from Harry apologetic about our fight. I pick up the phone and decide to call him first.

At the second ring he says, "I'm so sorry, babe."