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The Borscht Bowl Club was no place for children, but somehow, Trucy found herself to be as much of a regular as Daddy was. However, on the rare occasions when she wasn’t allowed to go, she was usually dropped off at Uncle Miles’ office so she wouldn’t be alone at the Wright Talent Agency. Of course, Trucy loved Uncle Larry, too, but his odd jobs didn’t allow him to watch her that often. At least with Uncle Miles, the man was almost always at his office in the evening if there was a case to be worked on.
But those were only the days when she wasn’t allowed to go. On the days when she couldn’t go due to her magic shows lining up with Daddy’s games, Uncle Miles would be the one driving her there and taking her back to his office until Daddy’s games finished.
One such evening found Trucy in the passenger seat of Uncle Miles’ car as he drove them back to his office after that evening’s performance. The show had been a huge success and she happily chattered away about every trick that had been performed as if Uncle Miles hadn’t been there to watch it. It was something she did with Daddy ever since she was little and...
And suddenly, her eyes didn’t shine as bright and her grin didn’t quite reach her eyes anymore. If only Daddy had been there....
Uncle Miles seemed to have picked up on her change in mood as well—if the slightly tightened grip on the steering wheel was anything to go by.
“Everything alright, Trucy?” he asked softly.
And like the practiced performer she was, Trucy swallowed down her uncertainties, gave the man a beaming grin, and shifted the focus back to talking about her magic tricks. “Everything’s fine, Uncle Miles! Did you see the look on everyone’s faces after the big finale?”
“Yes, of course. A splendid performance only a top-notch magician could pull off. From what your father has told me, you worked very hard to make sure it went perfectly.”
Trucy giggled. “Aww, thanks for the stroke of confidence, Uncle Miles. As always, thanks for driving me tonight, and... I’m sorry that you had to take time out of your schedule to do it. Daddy said you’re in the middle of a case. I could’ve just taken the bus or some—”
“Certainly not, young lady!” Uncle Miles interrupted. Shocked by his own sudden outburst, the man cleared his throat in embarrassment before he quietly said, “If your father can’t take you, someone else will; whether it be Detective Gumshoe, Larry, or myself.”
“But—”
“I’m not finished, Trucy,” Uncle Miles continued, tone soft. “I can say with one hundred percent certainty that you are your father’s world. If something were to happen to you, he would never forgive himself. Your father loves you more than I can even fathom.
“That being said, if he could attend every show, he would. I’ll have you know that your father is equally disappointed when he can’t attend one of your shows. He must be very talented if he can hide that even from you.”
Bright blue eyes widened in surprise. Trucy always knew there was something off about Daddy on those days, but she always chalked it up to his usual pre-game nerves. Just because he was good at his trade didn’t mean he didn’t get nervous. Even a pro like herself was prone to getting pre-show jitters before walking on stage.
As she continued to mull over it, Trucy couldn’t stop the lump that was starting to form in her throat. By this point, they had already made it to the parking garage. However, Trucy was glued to her seat and unable to move. As if Uncle Miles was a magician himself, a tissue box was suddenly in her lap at the first sign of a sniffle. She turned to look, but stopped halfway when a warm hand rested on top of her head. Her top hat was in the backseat with the rest of her things, so there was no way to hide the tears that were threatening to fall. Trucy had thought she’d done a decent job at holding them in...
Until Uncle Miles started smoothing down her hair.
It was difficult to speak through the hiccups and tears, so Trucy just sat there and cried. Uncle Miles said nothing through the whole ordeal, but she could feel the warm reassurance from the hand smoothing down her hair. There was a tinge of embarrassment from someone seeing her cry, but since it was Uncle Miles, she chose to let it slide.
After what felt like hours, Trucy’s tears finally stopped. During that time, Uncle Miles never left her side. She made a mental note to thank him later when she wasn’t a crying mess. Maybe an extra special VIP preview of her next show—something that only Daddy was currently privy to.
Wiping her eyes, she said softly, “Uncle Miles?”
The hand on her head stopped moving. “Yes, Trucy?”
“Is... do you think Daddy is done with his games? I’ve made it a habit not to text him when I know he has games scheduled.”
Uncles Miles gave her a reassuring smile. “I think you’ll be happy to know that while we were driving back to the office, I received a message from your father saying he was done for the evening.”
Trucy’s mouth dropped open and her hand flew up in a poor attempt to hide her shock. “He’s done already?” she asked in disbelief.
“By the sounds of it, he had a fairly easy night. He should be here any minute.” As they stepped out of the car, he continued, “Now let’s get you to the office restroom so you can freshen up and we’ll keep tonight’s little heart-to-heart just between us, alright?”
Trucy giggled when Uncle Miles gave a small wink. “I’ll have you know that I’m great with secrets, Uncle Miles,” she said confidently. “I’m a magician, after all.”
Uncle Miles chuckled. “That’s great to hear, Trucy.”
As Trucy ran past him to push the button for the elevator, she called out behind her, “And I promise to keep it a secret from Daddy that you’re capable of winking, too!”
Bubbly laughter echoed through the parking garage at the embarrassed sputter of, “Get back here this instance, Miss Trucy Wright!”
Trucy supposed she could keep Uncle Miles’ bright red face a secret from Daddy, too.