Rogers finishes up at the station and prepares to head home for the night when he spots Tilly's worn and faded backpack sitting on a chair. He decides to return it to Tilly on his way, and take that as an opportunity to check on her. The troubled young girl has had a rough couple of days, and with a murderer on the loose and out to frame her, he wants to make sure she reached home safely.
The detective feels disturbed throughout the drive, Tilly's words from the morning echoing in his head. No one sees me…I'm invisible…What if I don't exist at all. His thoughts don't coalesce into a coherent plan until he parks in front of the rusty old shed Tilly calls home. He takes a deep breath. He now knows what he needs to do.
He knocks on the door and enters, without waiting for her response. Tilly looks surprised and pleased to see him, but he notices the way her face falls when she thinks he only stopped by to drop off her backpack. He recognizes the look. After all, he sees that very same expression on his face every morning in the mirror—it is the look of someone who is lonely and does not get visitors.
"Look Tilly," he begins. "This…uh…this place isn't safe for you. Not with the murderer at large."
"I don't got nowhere else to go," says Tilly with a sad little smile that makes his heart twinge in compassion.
"How about you come stay with me for a while?" he offers in a matter of fact tone, so as to not make Tilly feel awkward. "I've got a spare room, central heating, a better lock on the door than this."
"Yeah. I'd like that very much," she replies, eyes sparking.
"Alright, then. Good. Well—come on," he says, picking up the backpack he had just set down. "Let's go home."
Tilly smiles wide and follows him out of the door.
Once they reach his apartment, Rogers gets Tilly settled into the second bedroom, finding her spare towels and an extra blanket. As Tilly goes to take a hot shower, the detective sets about cooking dinner for himself and his new roommate. He doesn't always cook—preferring to subsist on TV dinners and take-out half the time. However, something compels him to prepare a meal for Tilly. It is nice to have someone to cook for, and he's not sure when Tilly last ate.
By the time Tilly's done with her shower, Rogers has chicken noodle soup bubbling away on the stovetop and garlic bread toasting in the oven.
"Mmmm…. That smells wonderful!" says Tilly, giving an excited little hop.
Rogers smiles and asks her to set the dining table in the living room.
"Is there marmalade?" she calls out from the other room.
Rogers laughs. "I'm not sure it goes with garlic bread, love."
"I don't care. I can eat it on any kind of bread," she declares, standing at the threshold of the kitchen.
Rogers silently points her to the refrigerator with a smile.
He takes the soup and toasted bread to the living room once they're ready. He finds Tilly sitting on one of the dining chairs, her feet on the other, dipping into the marmalade jar with a spoon. She jumps up with a guilty expression when she sees him. Rogers merely shakes his head in fond exasperation as he ladles the steaming hot soup into a bowl for Tilly.
"Thanks, papa," she says, taking the bowl from him.
Rogers blinks.
"Uh…I mean, thanks, detective," says Tilly, and blushes. "I don't know where that came from."
"That's alright," he responds with a reassuring smile, unsure why his eyes are stinging.
After they finish their meal, Tilly helps him wash up, and they spend some time watching TV. It's not long before Tilly falls asleep with her mouth open, her feet propped up on the arm of the couch. Rogers checks the clock. It is past mid-night—time he went to bed himself, if he's to get an early start in the morning. He gently shakes Tilly awake. She yawns as she stands up.
"Sorry, I feel asleep," says Tilly, yawning again half way through the sentence.
Rogers smiles. "That's okay love. I'm turning in myself. Let me know if you need anything. Goodnight."
Just as he is about to step into his bedroom, Tilly calls out, "Detective!"
He turns, looking at her questioningly.
"Goodnight. And…and thank you," she says, looking down at her feet briefly before raising her face to meet his eyes. "For seeing me…and for bringing me home."
"You're welcome, love," he replies, a warm glow pressing down on his chest as he prepares for bed.
Rogers had spent years looking for the missing Eloise Gardner. He had found her, but she turned out to be a completely different person from the helpless victim he had imagined her to be. Nevertheless, he feels a deep conviction that Tilly is exactly who she appears to be. There is no deception in her innocent heart, and he vows to do the best he can to help her find her place in this world, as he suspects she is helping him find his. And for the first time in a long time, he falls into a deep and dreamless