Oriol estava decidit a convertir La Mercè en un dia especial per a la seva família.

Oriol was determined to make La Mercè a special day for his family.

Feia dies que pensava en el sopar perfecte.

For days, he had been thinking about the perfect dinner.

L'ambient a casa seva no era fàcil.

The atmosphere at home was not easy.

El diumenge, la llum de tardor omplia la petita cuina, però l'espai semblava més fosc a causa de les tensions.

On Sunday, the autumn light filled the small kitchen, but the space seemed darker due to the tensions.

La cuina estava plena d'arbúcies d'espècies i herbes que Oriol havia comprat al mercat.

The kitchen was full of bunches of spices and herbs that Oriol had bought at the market.

Les verdures fresques i el peix estaven esteses sobre la taula vella de fusta.

Fresh vegetables and fish were laid out on the old wooden table.

"Vaig al mercat. Necessito algunes coses més," va dir Oriol amb decisió, mirant als seus fills, Martí i Laura.

"I'm going to the market. I need a few more things," said Oriol decisively, looking at his children, Martí and Laura.

Laura, la seva filla adolescent, va fer un sospir llarg.

Laura, his teenage daughter, let out a long sigh.

"Jo passo. Prefereixo quedar-me aquí." Els braços creuats i el gest de fàstic eren el seu llenguatge habitual darrerament.

"I'll pass. I'd rather stay here." Her crossed arms and disgusted gesture were her usual language lately.

Martí, el fill petit, va mirar l’Oriol amb ulls brillants.

Martí, the younger son, looked at Oriol with bright eyes.

"Jo vull anar! Puc anar amb tu?" va preguntar amb entusiasme.

"I want to go! Can I go with you?" he asked enthusiastically.

El mercat estava ple de gent i de vida.

The market was full of people and life.

Venedors cridaven les ofertes del dia.

Vendors were shouting the day's offers.

Oriol sabia on trobar els millors productes.

Oriol knew where to find the best products.

Tenia una llista: "pa amb tomàquet, escalivada, crema catalana".

He had a list: "pa amb tomàquet, escalivada, crema catalana."

Cada ingredient era un record de sopars passats, feliços, abans que les discussions es fessin freqüents.

Each ingredient was a memory of past, happy dinners before the arguments became frequent.

Martí corria pel mercat, assenyalant tot el que cridava la seva atenció.

Martí ran around the market, pointing at everything that caught his attention.

De tornada a casa, l’ambient de festa minvava ràpidament a mesura que Laura murmurava que no li agradava el peix.

Back home, the festive atmosphere quickly diminished as Laura murmured that she didn't like fish.

Una vegada a la cuina, Oriol va començar a preparar el sopar.

Once in the kitchen, Oriol began preparing dinner.

Tots eren a la cuina encara que estaven en móns diferents.

They were all in the kitchen, though they were in different worlds.

Martí intentava ajudar, portant les verdures a Oriol.

Martí tried to help by bringing the vegetables to Oriol.

Laura enviava missatges amb el mòbil, poc implicada en la situació.

Laura was sending messages on her phone, barely involved in the situation.

De sobte, mentre Oriol fregia, Martí, en un intent de moure una olla, va colpejar accidentalment el bol amb la crema catalana preparada.

Suddenly, while Oriol was frying, Martí, in an attempt to move a pot, accidentally knocked the bowl with the prepared crema catalana.

Va caure al terra amb un soroll que va semblar final a la pau de la tarda.

It fell to the floor with a noise that seemed to mark the end of the afternoon's peace.

Laura va exclamar enfadada. "Mira el que has fet! Sempre fas el mateix!", i va marxar de la cuina.

Laura exclaimed angrily, "Look what you've done! You always do the same!" and left the kitchen.

Allò era el colmo per Oriol.

That was the last straw for Oriol.

Tants esforços per res.

So much effort for nothing.

Però va decidir que no podia rendir-se.

But he decided he couldn't give up.

Va respirar profundament i va buscar a la seva ment una història antiga de La Mercè, una que sempre havia fet riure a tothom: la història del gegant que ballava tan malament que va acabar amb els peus en un cub ple de vi.

He took a deep breath and searched his mind for an old story about La Mercè, one that had always made everyone laugh: the story of the giant who danced so poorly that he ended up with his feet in a tub full of wine.

La narració va començar a sortir naturalment, i malgrat l'accident, Martí va començar a riure.

The story began to flow naturally, and despite the accident, Martí started to laugh.

La seva rialla va atraure l'atenció de Laura, que va tornar, curiosa, encara amb un somriure tènue.

His laughter caught Laura's attention, who returned, curious, with a faint smile.

"Penseu que som tan maldestres com el gegant?" va continuar Oriol, imitant amb gestos còmics el gegant de la història.

"Do you think we're as clumsy as the giant?" Oriol continued, imitating with comical gestures the giant from the story.

Al final, tant Laura com Martí van acabar rient.

In the end, both Laura and Martí ended up laughing.

La tensió d'abans es va dissipar com una boira que s'aixeca.

The previous tension dissipated like fog lifting.

Oriol va veure que la perfecció no era la clau per a la felicitat en família.

Oriol realized that perfection was not the key to family happiness.

A La Mercè no es tracta de tenir el sopar perfecte.

La Mercè wasn't about having the perfect dinner.

Es tracta de compartir.

It was about sharing.

Les històries i els records compartits van ajudar a tornar a unir la seva família, almenys per aquell moment, aquell sopar.

The shared stories and memories helped bring his family back together, at least for that moment and that dinner.

I, malgrat tot, fou una nit inoblidable.

And despite everything, it was an unforgettable night.