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“The house has been robbed! Nancy cried. And something awful’s happened to my grandmother! screamed Rose.”
As Rodger ended the chapter, he peeked over the Nancy Drew book from Brightney’s library to see the young eight-ball with her eyes gently closed and her mouth partly open, breathing softly. He looked down at Toodles fondly, closing the book and putting it on her bedside table. The magnifying glass stood up to grab the girl’s stuffed puppy from the floor and place it next to her, then let his hand tenderly brush against her forehead. He smiled affectionately as he wallowed in the sweet girl’s moment of peace.
She shuffled to her side slightly, grabbing onto the toy and holding it close, eyes shutting tighter as he let a huff out her nose. She smacked her lips sleepily before murmuring faintly,
“Goodnight papa.”
Rodger stilled, watching the girl ease back into her peaceful slumber. He stared for a long moment, his expression blank. Then he quietly walked out of the girl’s room and shut the door, walking toward his chambers.
It wasn’t until he was in his own room and his door was shut and he was sitting on the couch that he finally let himself show the complex emotions on his face. His eye shook with consternation as he stared fixedly at the cluttered coffee table in front of him, the young girl’s words echoing in his mind.
Goodnight papa.
The man shakily leaned forward as his intertwined hands rested on his knees, the panic growing in his eye. He gulped as if there were anything inside his painfully dry throat.
Goodnight papa.
Goodnight papa.
Papa
A knock on his door suddenly broke him from his pensive stupor, and he jolted up to look at the entryway. He knew who it was from the knock- which thankfully, wasn’t Toodles- but the guest was already dramatically bursting through the door before Rodger was given a moment to compose himself.
“Roooddgeeerrrrr! Razzle and Dazzle were going to show me the scripts they found in the old theatre bin, and I went to the drama room only to find they were already showing Looey the script!”
Rodger blinked as he watched the gold mirror pace back and forth in his living room, trying to calm his own heightened nerves enough to listen to his friend’s troubles.
“Why would they even invite me if they were already going to show somebody else first? And a CLOWN no less? They stared at me so awkwardly when I came in! It made me feel like I was intruding!”
Rodger rubbed his wrist. This wasn’t working. His gut bubbled with anxiety.
“Me? Intruding? I’m always invited! I know I was perfectly fine, as I always am, but why would the boys invite Looey? They know how I feel about clowns. Was this a trap? A ploy to catch me off guard?”
His entire being felt like it was shaking. Everything felt wrong.
“I swear, everyone wants to catch me at my worst. Sure, Sprout is expected. Connie, even. But Razzle and Dazzle? Looey? It’s almost like they want me to fail, to look— stupid!”
Rodger felt like he was falling apart. His body was collapsing. He can’t breathe. This isn’t normal, why can’t he breathe—
“Rodger.”
Rodger’s eye suddenly shot up, meeting an intense, stern gaze from Glisten, who had paused directly across from him. He quickly cleared his throat, straightening his suit jacket and sitting up straight. “S-sorry, Glisten, yes, I agree that the twins would likely not set you up for embarrassment. May I suggest that maybe-”
“No, no.” Glisten waved his hand dismissively as he cut off the magnifying glass. “There are more important matters at hand here.” The mirror stepped closer, eyes scanning the shorter boy. Rodger gave him a curious look, unsure what the mirror was implying. “Were you… crying?”
“Ah-” Breath hitching and back stiffening, the magnifying glass quickly brought a hand to his cheek, feeling the underneath of his eye. He didn’t even realize his eye had started watering at some point, let alone tears falling down his face. He grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket, shakily dabbing the underneath of his face.
“Here, let me. You’re trembling like you’ve heard a banshee.” Glisten swiftly took the cloth from the other’s hand, carefully cleaning the boy’s glass face. “I’ve never seen you look so… distraught,” the mirror muttered as he concentrated on fixing up the detective.
As Glisten stepped back, Rodger sighed, closing his eye. The mirror seated himself beside him, a hint of worry in his questioning glance. Rodger rested his hands on his knees as he took in a long, deep breath. “I apologize. Everything is quite all right; I did not mean to alarm you.”
Glisten tilted his head at the glass, who stared down at his legs. Gently, the mirror took the boy’s hand, his voice uncharacteristically soft in tone. “I’ve got a keen eye, Rodger. Don’t forget that.”
Rodger looked up at him curiously, catching a wink from the mirror. He chuckled softly. “I guess we’re both influenced by the company we keep, hm?”
Glisten smiled at him, squeezing his hand.
The smile from Rodger’s eye fell, the boy failing to meet Glisten’s gaze. It was silent for a long moment, Rodger struggling to speak. He wasn’t one to open up about emotions, as much as he hated to admit. His love was researching and investigating, and it often buried the complex emotional turmoil that festered within him. He took a deep breath, his thumb pressing into Glisten’s.
“Do you… think there would be someone better to look after Toodles?”
His voice was quiet, unsure.
Glisten simply looked at him flabbergasted, and it seemed as if words were caught in his throat. “I- wha- no! Absolutely not. I don’t think there’s anyone that could do it the way you do. That girl adores you.”
Rodger’s gaze fell sadly as Glisten continued to speak.
“She looks up to you, Rodger. It’s almost like you’re her father,” the mirror giggled joyfully.
Rodger stiffened at his words. Father.
Glisten peered at him inquisitively, startled by the reaction. “What? Everyone thinks it, even if no one says it.” The mirror’s hand slid up to the boy’s shoulder, attempting to get a better look at him. “Did Toodles say something? I know it’s not something she’d ever admit, but I know that girl couldn’t be any more fond-”
“No,” Rodger coughed, shaking his head. “It’s… quite the opposite.”
“She… called you dad?”
Rodger’s eye began to water. He quickly nodded.
“Ohhh, Rodger!” the mirror squealed excitedly, grabbing the magnifying glass by the cheeks to press his thumbs into them affectionately. “That is so sweet! I told you, the two of you-”
As tears began to slowly fall down the glass of Rodger’s face, Glisten's face fell, a worried frown replacing his giddy smile. “Hey, hey. Rodger, sweetie…” He gently caressed the boy’s cheek, eyeing him uneasily. “You care about her so much, right? What’s the problem?”
“I…” The glass leaned into the comforting touch as he sobbed quietly, struggling to maintain his professional demeanor. Rodger cleared his throat, attempting to wipe his eye. “S-sorry, ahem. I just… don’t think I’m worthy of such a title. I shove my head in my research, and it leaves us with such little quality time together. And when we do, she begs to see my detective work, a-and,” he sniffled as his eye began to even more aggressively water, “Even though I find my work rewarding, I do know the most recent happenings aren’t exactly… safe. Toodles is a smart girl, but my duty as her role model seems to put her in more and more danger as time goes on. Maybe another toon would be better fit as her caretaker, so she would be out of harm’s way-”
The detective began to sob, and the mirror pulled him into a hug, hushing him soothingly as he held him against his chest. Rodger slowly accepted the embrace, fists clenching Glisten’s sweater as he sobbed quietly into him. Though he was in a state of despair, he was comforted by the tender touch of Glisten’s hand stroking the rim of his glass. Gradually, the magnifying glass was lulled, his shaking figure much more relaxed, only left with a few sniffles and a puffy eye. Consoled by the mirror’s loving embrace, he let out a heavy sigh.
“Rodger, I don’t think anyone could replace what you and Toodles have,” Glisten began softly, continuing to caress his head. “You two have a bond like no other, and I don’t think Toodles could ever love another toon the way she loves you, even me.” Though he could hear Rodger begin to sniffle again, Glisten kept going. “You’re her comfort, and her stability, and her inspiration. I don’t think this would change, even if someone else watched over her. She’s always looked up to you.” Glisten squeezed his handle lovingly. “And, by the way, wanting to keep her out of danger makes you sound even more like a dad.”
After a moment, Rodger sat up to look at Glisten, emotion welling in his eye. Glisten smiled gently at him, and Rodger giggled back at him, wiping his eye. “I guess it does, doesn’t it?”
Glisten smirked cheekily at him. “Definitely.”
Rodger wiped his eye once more, laughing breathily. He looked up at the mirror with a bright, adoring smile. “Thank you, Glisten.”
Glisten gasped quietly, his cheeks tinting a soft pink, fogging his mirror. To hide his embarrassment, he teasingly pinched at the detective’s cheek. “Yeah, yeah. You’ve listened to my woes more than enough, you would think I’d have to return the favor at least once. You don’t have to be professional all the time, y’know.”
It was then the magnifying glass’s turn to flush, his glass fogging up. He finally became aware of how disheveled he had become in front of his friend, and how intimate the two had become during his breakdown. Rodger averted his gaze and cleared his throat in embarrassment, causing the mirror to snicker at him. The shorter boy then finally met the taller’s gaze and smiled happily, chuckling softly.
“There was a reason you came in here, wasn’t there?” Rodger asked inquisitively, his hand tenderly grazing down the mirror’s arm.
“Eh… Wasn’t important. I’m sure I can guess what you were going to say anyway.” Glisten waved his hand dismissively. “Plus, I can’t focus when your glass is this smudged, goodness gracious.”
Rodger scoffed in shock, pulling back. “Glisten! W-were you not there when we just-”
“I’m teasing you, Rodger,” the mirror grinned playfully. “Let me clean it off for you.”
Rodger grumbled incoherently as the taller boy took the handkerchief and rubbed it along his face. “I am plenty well-kept, you know! You just… caught me at a bad moment.”
“Sure, detective, sure.”
Rodger huffed as he stood up, straightening his suit jacket once more. “Well, let me at least get you a cup of tea and cookies to chat over. It’s the least I can do.”
Glisten gave him a warm-half lidded smile. “Sure, if that makes you feel better.”
Rodger groaned quietly, causing the mirror to laugh happily. He stormed out of the room toward the kitchen, though he was secretly feeling quite overjoyed as his chest fluttered with glee.