The door swung open, revealing Araminta with her hair in a messy bun, tear-stained cheeks, and a hint of frustration in her voice. "What are you doing here? My mom's here," she said, her tone a mixture of concern and annoyance.
Dominik, undeterred, responded, "I'm here, because I care for you. And who the hell has been making you cry?"
As the exchange unfolded, Araminta's mother's voice echoed from within the apartment, "Qui és això, Araminta? Ja sabeu què, porteu-los aquí. No poden dir que no!"
(Who is that, Araminta? You know what, bring them here. They can't say no!)
Ara, now visibly frustrated, whispered-shouted at Dominik, "Why did you have to come today? I didn't want you to meet her yet. She's very judgmental. Plus, I've never had a boy meet her before."
Dominik, bewildered, asked, "Why does it matter? What's the big deal?"
Ara explained, "You don't speak Catalan. Even though mom speaks English, she wants to make sure I have someone who can also speak and embrace my culture."
As Araminta's mother approached, she bombarded Dominik with a barrage of questions, each more probing than the last. "Com us vau conèixer? Quant de temps fa que es coneixen? Només sou amics o hi ha alguna cosa més? Ets la raó per la qual l'Ara va abandonar la universitat?"
(How did you two meet? How long have you known each other? Are you just friends, or is there something more? Are you the reason Ara dropped out of college?)
Dominik, navigating the onslaught, tried to answer the questions in English. However, Araminta's mother, realizing that Dominik didn't know Catalan, shifted her interrogation.
"You don't know Catalan?" she asked, to which Dominik replied, "No, ma'am. If you give me the chance, I will learn it for you and your daughter."
The tension escalated as Araminta's mother continued her questioning. Finally, Dom turned to Araminta and asked, "You dropped out of college. Why?"
Araminta, frustrated and emotional, responded, "Because it wasn't what I wanted. I need to find my own path, Dom."
Her mother, disapproving, voiced her disagreement with Araminta's actions. The snowy streets of Liverpool seemed to echo the complexities of the cultural abyss that had unfolded within the walls of the apartment—a clash of values, expectations, and the unfolding story of Minty and Dominik, caught in the crossfire of judgment and cultural scrutiny. The door to the apartment remained a threshold to a chapter yet to unravel, leaving the outcome suspended in the air like the falling snow outside.