I wanted to get just a little closer to those fireworks.

An evening where the heat had yet to cool down.

Today was the day of the fireworks festival.
Although there were stalls and vendors lined up,
I can see the fireworks from my house.

So, my family and relatives all lined up chairs in front of the house
and decided to watch them at our leisure.

"Boom!"

The first firework bloomed in the night sky.

For my daughter, fireworks were something she had only ever seen in picture books.
She surely couldn't have imagined they would make such a loud sound.

At first, she froze with her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open.

Was she surprised?
Or was she mesmerized?

As a few more fireworks went off, her expression gradually changed.
Before I knew it, she was laughing out loud.

And then, suddenly—

she started running toward the fireworks.

Headlong.

Aiming for the fireworks shining far off in the night sky, she sprinted with all her might on her little legs.

I instinctively grabbed my daughter's hand.

It's dangerous if she falls.

She might bump into someone.

"Let's go together."

Thinking that, I held her hand.

But my daughter shook off my hand and started running again.

Even after picking her up and going back.

Even after holding hands.

She headed toward the sound again.

Perhaps,
she wanted to see the fireworks she had seen so many times in picture books
from just a little closer.

I still don't know what my daughter was really thinking.

Because she can't put it into words yet.

Even so, with her whole body.

With her whole expression.

"It's fun!"

That feeling, at least, came through clearly.

Pick me up.

Chase after them.

Pick me up again.

Honestly, it was tough.

Even so, at this year's fireworks festival,
what stayed in my heart the most wasn't the fireworks blooming in the night sky.

I wanted to get just a little closer to those fireworks.

It was that small back, running ahead with all her might.

↑My daughter discovered a picture book about fireworks in this article.