Light

The city center illuminated the brightest during the Mid-Autumn Festival each year. The pale glow of the full moon was complimented by the colorful lights that lined the edges of every building in sight. Though the cold had long arrived in the anticipation of winter, the electric energy of thousands of people made the night feel warm.

The Mid-Autumn Festival was a holiday that seemed to bring together everyone in the city: the children watching in awe as the lion dancers performed in their glittering costumes, while the adults enjoyed tea and liquor by the market stalls.

The students were given a school break to celebrate the holiday, and almost all of Chen An's classmates crowded the busy streets. Lu Xi Xi linked her arm with Chen An's as to not lose her while they too wandered through the bustling market. As they walked, Lu Xi Xi picked up little toys and trinkets displayed on the tables and hanging from the stalls, showing them off to Chen An in reminiscence of their fleeting childhood.

As they reached the river, the noise of the market became muffled in the distance. Only the milky glow of the moon reflecting on the water seemed to light up the velvet darkness. It was the place Chen An would come to during the celebration every year, listening to music alone while her grandmother was away. The fireworks would ignite on the other side of the river, casting specks of brilliant color into the air, her favorite part of the whole night.

When Chen An told Lu Xi Xi of her secret location, Lu Xi Xi determined it would be the perfect place to confess to Li Jun Jie.

"Do you remember the plan?" Lu Xi Xi asked Chen An, nervousness and excitement rising into her voice all at once.

Chen An nodded. She had texted Li Jun Jie to meet her here when the firework show started. But, instead of Chen An, it would be Lu Xi Xi who waited for him and confessed her feelings.

Distant footsteps sounded on the stone path by the river. Chen An couldn't bear to see Li Jun Jie face to face and walked away before he could catch sight of her.

Chen An was now left alone to peruse the market stalls. She forced her mind not to drift to Lu Xi Xi and Li Jun Jie's encounter, distracting herself with the piles of sweets on the tables. When she was younger, Chen An would always ration the allowance her grandmother gave her while she was away in Hangzhou, saving just enough coins to buy a long skewer of candied hawthorn that had seemed nearly taller than herself.

As she looked upon the sugar-glazed sticks now, they no longer appeared quite so big. A group of children pushed past Chen An and crowded around the stall, each looking astonishingly at the shining red fruits they acquired from the seller.

Only a little girl remained empty-handed, staring into the small coin purse tied to her jacket.

Chen An approached the girl, bending down to meet her eye. "Do you want to eat a candied hawthorn?"

The girl nodded shyly, looking at her friends who seemed to have already forgotten about her as they crunched on their skewers.

"Jie Jie will buy you one, okay?" Chen An pulled out her wallet and placed a few coins in the girl's palm, a couple more than she needed.

A smile quickly returned to the girl's face. "Thank you, Jie Jie!"

She waddled over to the candied hawthorn seller, handing him one of her newly acquired coins, and went to join her friends.

Chen An smiled for the first time that night. A woman behind a stall's counter called her name and beckoned her over, one Chen An recognized as her grandmother's friend.

"Chen An, it's nice to see you. How are you and your grandmother doing? Both healthy and staying strong, I assume?" the woman asked, selecting the prettiest pastry she could find from the tall mound.

"We're both doing well," Chen An responded. "My grandmother is away at the moment, so I miss celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival with her, but other than that, everything is good."

"Good, good. Here, have a mooncake. I made it by hand." The woman placed the pastry in front of Chen An and winked. "There's two egg yolks inside."

Lotus mooncakes had always been Chen An's favorite dessert, though one she could rarely afford with her measly coins. Breaking it open, the orange egg yolk inside seemed more like the sun than the full moon it represented. Chen An could feel the child in her heart fill with joy. "Thank you, Auntie."

A little boy suddenly ran out of the stall, weaving between the guests that crowded around the stand. In his haste, he bumped into Chen An's leg and rubbed his forehead in pain.

"Are you okay?" Chen An rushed to check on him, but the boy beamed a bright smile and began running around again with uncontainable energy. He reminded Chen An of Little An An from the afternoon art classes, and Chen An couldn't help but match his wide smile.

The mooncake lady clicked her tongue. "That boy never listens to me. I told him to wait for me to finish work, but I suppose he's too excited."

"Is he your grandson?" Chen An asked, finally noticing the resemblance in their sparkling eyes.

"Yes, but I don't know where he gets his energy from. Definitely not me." The mooncake lady shook her head with a laugh but looked down at her grandson fondly.

Not yet learning his lesson, the little boy bumped into another customer, but he did not let it stop him. "There he goes again. He just can't wait to go make paper lanterns."

"I can take him if you'd like, Auntie," Chen An offered, remembering the lantern stand near the river at the back of the market.

"Would you really, dear? That would be wonderful." The mooncake lady gave Chen An a grateful look. "I'll meet you there after I'm finished here."

"I don't mind at all," Chen An replied.

Approaching the little boy, Chen An crouched to meet his eye. "I heard you like lanterns. Do you want to go make some?"

The boy nodded enthusiastically, and Chen An was almost worried that his head would pop off of his body. Taking his small hand in hers, Chen An made her way to the crowded lantern stand.

"Excuse me, sir. Could we have two lanterns, please?" Chen An asked the man working at the stall.

When he turned around to face her, Chen An was surprised to see Shen Li Xin.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, startled. It must have been fate then, to see Shen Li Xin just as she was thinking about their art classes.

Shen Li Xin smiled his bright smile, and under the lantern light, he seemed to glow brighter and warmer than he usually did. "A side job, you could say," Shen Li Xin said sheepishly.

He seemed happy then, among the dozens of children that crowded around his feet, asking for help with making the lanterns.

Shen Li Xin handed her two lanterns, and Chen An went to construct them with the little boy. She guided his small hand as they painted a message on its surface, wishing for happiness and laughter for the both of them.

As they finished, Chen An guided the boy back to where Shen Li Xin stood on a stepladder, beginning to hang the finished lanterns.

Shen Li Xin bent down to collect the lantern from the little boy, who quickly ran to find his grandmother, pointing out the lantern he had decorated hanging in the air. The mooncake lady reacted emphatically and waved at Chen An in thanks when her eyes found her.

"Do you want to hang yours yourself, An An?" Shen Li Xin asked, descending back to the ground.

Chen An nodded, and she stepped onto the ladder, reaching up to secure it on the line. Shen Li Xin held his hands around her waist to steady her.

Shen Li Xin whispered, as if just for Chen An to hear, "Make a wish, An An. I promise it'll come true."

Chen An closed her eyes, aware of Shen Li Xin's secure grasp igniting fireworks on her skin. As if on cue, the booming explosions of the firework show sounded in the air. Behind her eyelids, Chen An could see flashes of brilliant colored light burst against the sky and leave a burning trail in their wake.

Squeezing her eyes shut even tighter, she wished to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with all of her friends every year for the rest of her life, not even a single one missing.

When Chen An opened her eyes again, she was met with a golden firework blooming in the clear sky, and she hoped it was a sign that her wish would be granted.

As she turned around, Shen Li Xin looked up at her as if he had never once removed his gaze. Chen An could see the glow of the fireworks paint colorful streaks across his face, and she had an urge to reach out and touch those fleeting hues.

Shen Li Xin held out a hand and guided Chen An down from the ladder. It was now Chen An who looked up at him, and when their eyes met, she could feel Shen Li Xin squeeze her hand a little tighter.

Warmth spread through Chen An's fingers, and she wondered if it was from the candle inside of the lantern or from Shen Li Xin's touch.

It seemed that Chen An could only see the man in front of her in that moment and didn't notice another figure a few feet away. Watching her, Li Jun Jie held a lantern in his hand, though he dropped it without ever lighting the flame. A group of playing children trampled the lantern as they chased each other, the thin paper collapsing to the ground.

Just like at the ice cream stand, Li Jun Jie always seemed to be a moment too late.