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Had it been Trucy’s idea originally or Phoenix’s? Neither could really remember anymore but it had probably originated about a year ago with Phoenix staring longingly into a jewelry shop window when he thought his daughter wasn’t looking. He’d toyed with the idea before, but it never seemed right, and for all his confident smiles there were some things that made even the great Phoenix Wright nervous.
But Trucy had noticed, and she’d poked and prodded. Every time Miles spent the night, or came over to cook them dinner, she caught the fond smiles, and the gentle touches. She’d send her father knowing looks that he brushed off, but Phoenix could only bluff for so long.
“Daddy,” Trucy had started out of the blue one night as they sat together on the couch watching old reruns of some awful 90s comedy. “You’re in love with Edgeworth.”
She said it so simply and directly as if she were explaining something obvious like that 2 + 2 = 4. Phoenix for his part stared at her, wide-eyed from her accusation.
When her father didn’t respond, Trucy followed her statement with, “You should marry him.”
If Phoenix hadn’t already looked like a deer in the headlights before, he certainly did so now.
“Hey now, Truce, let’s not get ahead of ourselves!”
“But this has been going on for years, Daddy!” And it had, and despite his best attempts Phoenix could not defend himself against the onslaught of his daughter’s clear-cut argument. Phoenix loved Miles. Trucy loved Miles. Where was the fault in her reasoning?
So they’d started talking, planning, and every time Miles picked Trucy up from school or appeared in the audience of one of her shows she had to bite her lip and keep herself from spoiling their plan. Somewhere along the line Trucy had helped her father pick out a ring, and it all culminated on a warm Sunday in June, as the three of them shared some meaningless conversation in the Wright family apartment.
“So you see, the secret to any good meringue, Miss Wright, is to add not only granulated sugar, but powdered sugar, one teaspoon at a time.”
Trucy smirked as she took another bite of the meringue cookies Miles had brought over, and which she had subsequently demanded the recipe for. How the chief prosecutor found the time to perfect his cooking, she had no idea, but was incredibly thankful for.
“Look at you, Edgeworth, trying to steal my culinary thunder,” Phoenix commented from where he was seated opposite Miles on their beat up red sofa. “Truce, if you ever wanna know how to make a mean grilled cheese, look no further,” he grinned, motioning to himself as Edgeworth rolled his eyes.
“I suppose I should be impressed,” Edgeworth commented, turning and sharing a smile with Trucy. “I didn’t know your father’s culinary prowess extended farther than preparing a bowl of cereal.”
“Hey!” Phoenix squawked as his daughter laughed, and Miles offered an apologetic smile. As her chuckles died down, Trucy wiped at her eyes, inconspicuously making eye contact with her nervous looking father. With a much less inconspicuous nod, Phoenix acknowledged her signal that it was time. Both members of the Wright family stood up, as if on cue, and Miles was left looking intermediately between both of them.
“Oh my, am I about to become privy to one of your latest magic tricks, Miss Wright?” Edgeworth asked, and Trucy grinned.
“You could call it that. But for this trick I’ll need help from a specific member of the audience,” she said, looking straight at Edgeworth and failing to mention that this trick involved turning said audience member into a family member.
Miles’s eyes narrowed and he looked to Phoenix for some sort of explanation, receiving only a broad grin and a shake of the head for his efforts. He returned his gaze to Trucy, as she and her father stepped closer, coming to a halt just in front of where he was seated.
“Daddy and I have been thinking for a long time about exactly how to approach this,” she started, glancing back at her father who was awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. “But quite honestly if it was up to Daddy, I don’t think anything would ever get done.” She looked back at Miles and offered him her stage performer smile, as he in turn, adjusted his glasses and watched her intently.
“So I decided that I wanted to get you something for Father’s Day,” she said, and as Edgeworth opened his mouth to protest that he was not her father, and therefore not deserving of a gift on said holiday, she promptly cut him off. “Daddy helped.”
That was his cue, as Phoenix kneeled down and pulled a small velvet box from his pocket. He opened it, revealing the plain but tasteful golden band he had picked out with his daughter.
“Miles Edgeworth,” Phoenix started, and Trucy echoed. “Will you-“
Phoenix spoke first, after a quick inhale of breath as he looked into shocked gray eyes that were too stunned to offer either assurance or rejection.
“Will you…?” he asked, voice so unnaturally shy and quiet. “Will you let me be there for you through thick and thin? Will you help me raise a beautiful daughter who loves you? Will you let me make you some very mediocre grilled cheese sandwiches?” he paused, sucking in a breath, “Miles Edgeworth, will you marry me?”
For a man with such a quick wit who usually always had an answer to Phoenix Wright’s outlandish claims, Miles Edgeworth came up short, his brain and his throat both failing him. Yet he was saved from his speechlessness by young Trucy, and perhaps if his mind were functioning at full capacity he would have noted that this wasn’t the first time a Wright had saved him.
“And on this Father’s Day, will you, Miles Edgeworth,” Trucy started, much calmer than her father, but still getting a bit emotional after watching the previous exchange. “Would you make me and Daddy incredibly happy by agreeing to be my new Papa?”
This time, having a better idea of what was coming, Miles did not falter in his reply. He glanced momentarily at Phoenix but then back at the young magician who stood in front of him. He reached forward and brushed a strand of hair out of her face, if only to have something to do with his hands.
“Is that truly what you want, Trucy?” he asked with a cautious smile as if he were afraid that she would suddenly change her mind.
“Of course!” she answered giddily, with wet eyes as the emotion in the room finally caught up with her. “How many girls can say that they’ve had not one, or two, but three fathers?” she remarked, offering Miles her most sincere smile. Then much more quietly she added, “And the best three, at that.”
Miles needed no more reassurance as he stood and brought Trucy to his chest, holding her tightly despite his obvious inexperience and insecurity with expressing physical affection. Time passed slowly, both parties breathless until Edgeworth leaned back, and holding Trucy at arm’s length, pressed a short kiss to the top of her head and answered, “I would be honored to have such a beautiful and respectable young woman consider me her father.”
After a moment, Miles relinquished his grip and turned to face an anxious looking Phoenix, still kneeling on the ground. Edgeworth crossed his arms, tapping his forefinger along his shoulder as he said, “Stand up, Wright.”
Phoenix gulped audibly as he scrambled to his feet like a new cadet at the mercy of a drill sergeant.
“You had to recruit your daughter to help sway me?” Edgeworth asked, with the piercing eyes he used to deliver his most shocking revelations in the courtroom.
“Our daughter?” Phoenix chanced the correction, wishing that he had Trucy’s ability to charm the chief prosecutor.
Miles’s eyes softened at that, and his tone slowly but surely followed suit. “You want me to help raise our beautiful daughter together?” he asked, holding Phoenix’s gaze hostage. “And not only that, but you have the audacity to suggest that I eat your ‘mediocre grilled cheese sandwiches’ and then remain with you through sickness and in health?”
“Til death do us part?” Phoenix tried sheepishly, and with it finally came the key needed to completely break Miles’s façade, as a soft chuckle escaped his lips.
“Yes, and with your track record of falling off bridges and being hit by moving vehicles, that shouldn’t be too long now, should it?” he said stepping fourth and resting a hand on the defense attorney’s cheek. Then with a tender smile neither Phoenix nor Miles would have thought him capable of a mere seven years before, Edgeworth spoke in gentle tones. “Yes, Phoenix Wright. I will marry you.”
Most teenage girls would be disgusted by the sight of their parents kissing, but as her fathers met, and Phoenix gingerly wrapped his arms around Miles, Trucy couldn’t help but smile.