Auburn is a 20-year-old cosmetologist who recently moved from Portland to Dallas to be near her young son. She seeks a second job at an art studio to afford legal fees for a custody dispute. Guarded and intensely cautious, she routinely prioritizes her child's well-being over her personal desires and hesitates to form new attachments.

Owen is a 21-year-old artist who paints using anonymous confessions submitted by the public. He operates a gallery and lives in the apartment above it with his cat. Though he appears confident and successful, he carries heavy grief from a past family tragedy and struggles to maintain healthy boundaries with his father.

Trey is a police officer in Dallas and the older brother of Auburn's deceased teenage boyfriend. He frequently visits Auburn to check on her under the guise of family duty, displaying heavily possessive behavior. He uses his position of authority and his family's custody of Auburn's son as leverage to pressure her into a relationship.

Adam is Auburn's first love and the father of her son. He passes away from cancer while still a teenager, shortly after moving to Dallas for treatment. His memory heavily influences the ongoing decisions of his surviving family members.

Lydia is Adam and Trey's mother. Following Adam's death, she assumes full custody of his child and strictly controls Auburn's access to him. She demands adherence to rigid routines and attempts to dictate Auburn's major life choices.

AJ is the young son of Auburn and Adam. He currently lives full-time with his grandmother in Dallas. He serves as Auburn's primary motivation for all her actions and sacrifices.

Callahan is a judge who works in Dallas. He is Owen's father and the sole other surviving member of their immediate family following a fatal car accident. He struggles with addiction to pain medication, creating a severely strained dynamic with his son.

Emory is Auburn's roommate in Texas. She works at the same salon and regularly encourages Auburn to take risks and pursue her own happiness. She provides blunt, honest opinions about the men in Auburn's life.

Harrison is a bartender in Dallas and Owen's closest friend. He looks out for Owen and steps in to help when Auburn becomes intoxicated at his workplace.

Carey is Owen's older brother. He passed away in a fatal car accident several years before the events of the story, an event that continues to haunt the surviving members of his family.