It's been ten years since horse breeder Saskia last saw her childhood friend Andrea. The lives of the two women had drifted apart when Saskia had retired after a disappointing marriage and thrown herself full-time into work at her remote stud farm. Andrea, on the other hand, had moved to London with her young daughter. Now Saskia receives sad news: her once best friend died in a car accident. But that's not all: As a godmother, she is now supposed to look after Andrea's 16-year-old daughter Lucy, at least until the youth welfare office has been able to locate the girl's father. Rather reluctantly and out of a sense of duty, Saskia takes Lucy in. It can hardly be any other way, as the contrast between London and the Rhineland provinces could hardly be greater. The cheeky big-city girlie has nothing to do with the country air and the strict rules at the stud farm. She hides behind her computer and keeps getting into fights with her unlocker aunt. But Saskia soon realizes that behind her dismissive and rebellious manner the teenager hides deep sadness and nagging feelings of guilt. With patience and relentlessness, she manages to overcome Lucy's emotional barrier and build a trusting relationship with her. But then Lucy's father, whom she has never seen before, suddenly appears. Alex lives in Amsterdam, runs a large gallery and, with his easy-going demeanor, is a man that suits Lucy's tastes. Saskia also really likes the charming artist of life. Still, she fears he might disappoint his daughter's expectations. In fact, he doesn't react very enthusiastically to Lucy's plan to move bag and baggage to him in Amsterdam immediately. Deeply hurt, the girl runs away and cannot be found.