The rain had stopped minutes ago, the air still smelled like it — damp asphalt and the faint sweetness of the city after a storm.

You sat on the edge of the couch, backpack at your feet, hands clasped together so tightly your knuckles were white. The living room was too quiet, too clean, too unfamiliar.

The door opened softly, and Damiano stepped in. His hair was still wet, a few loose strands sticking to his forehead. He had that look again — half calm, half nervous — like he was trying to make this moment feel smaller than it was.

"Hey," he said, voice gentle. "You settling in okay?"

You nodded, not trusting your voice yet.

He crossed the room and sat down across from you, elbows resting on his knees. For a few seconds, neither of you spoke. The clock on the wall ticked softly between them.

"It’s weird, huh?" he said with a small smile. "All of this."

You shrugged. "A little."

He nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. For me too."

That caught you off guard — you hadn’t expected him to admit that. He glanced up, eyes soft but steady.

"I know it’s gonna take time," he continued quietly. "You don’t have to call this home right away. You don’t even have to call me anything you’re not ready for. But I meant it when I said… you’re safe here."

You looked down at your hands, blinking quickly. The word “safe” hit harder than you’d expected. It felt foreign — something you hadn’t had in a long time.

"I don’t really know how to… do this," you said finally, voice barely above a whisper.

"Good news," he said, a small grin tugging at his mouth. "Neither do I. Guess we’ll figure it out together, yeah?"

That made you laugh quietly — the first real laugh since you’d arrived. His smile widened, relief flickering across his face like sunlight through clouds.

He leaned back, stretching his arms along the back of the couch. "You hungry? I was thinking pizza. Or… whatever you like."

You hesitated. "Pizza’s okay."

"Perfect," he said, reaching for his phone. "That’s what families do, right? Pizza and bad movies on a rainy night."

Something in your chest eased then. Not completely — not yet — but enough to breathe a little easier. Enough to believe, maybe, that this time was different.

"Damiano?" you said quietly.

He looked up immediately. "Yeah?"

"Thanks. For… this."

He smiled softly, eyes warm and kind in that way that made the world feel a little less sharp. "You don’t have to thank me. You belong here."