As she moves closer and closer to Five, I loosen my grip on the chains that hold her close to me.
A dose of common sense has settled under her skin, and with it comes a healthy fear of cars and the understanding that wandering too far would be problematic.
So, I let her freely explore as I stand back and watch.
At first she doesn't know where to start her adventure as she is overwhelmed by all of the sights and sounds that envelop her.
Then, with a grin, she belts out, "I LOVE PITTSBURGH!" She stretches her arms out wide and gives her city a hug.
Is it genetic? Or does her love of the city that holds my heart come from experience? Is it that it's inevitable to love Pittsburgh once you've set eyes on it and allowed it into your soul?
She doesn't care. All she knows is that there is an ice rink RIGHT THERE and she wants to skate.
We have arrived at the rink unprepared, so I promise her that we will return another day to skate. For now, we'll just have to explore what's around the ice.
She is unfazed by the restriction as there is a plethora of sights and sounds and things to love. And, "LOOK! PENGUINS!" she declares before darting off to another part of the square.
Her heart is a song, music courses through her veins, and in that moment of silence and freedom, she lets the rhythm of her soul take over. Right then, right there, she breaks into dance.
Wild, reckless, uninhibited dance.
People stop what they are doing to watch her, perhaps admiring her freedom and awkward beauty.
She pays them no mind, instead pausing to fuss at a button on her sweater.
In a blink, the moment of calm is gone and she is off running, chasing new heights.
She finds a bench and declares it her stage, once again resuming her wild and crazy dance.
She wiggles and shakes, clearly enjoying the little spotlight she has cast on herself. She grins at strangers who have stopped to watch her show, even posing as one photographs her.
"I'm Four," she tells the woman with the blue coat.
"Not for long, my dear, not for long," I think.
She finishes her performance with a flourish, a giant leap and a "TA-DAAAH!" off the bench.
And she's done. She has worked up an appetite and says her belly thinks dinner needs to happen RIGHT NOW.
"Can I take one more picture?" I ask. I want to remember that I was here, too.
She obliges with a flourish.
And off we go, hand-in-hand, breathlessly talking about the city we love.