Eddie is an unemployed former truck driver in his late forties who recently lost his commercial driver's license following a DUI. Seeking human connection, he leaves all the lights on in his home and sends text messages to an old phone number. He presents a cheerful overconfidence but battles alcoholism and isolation. He is separated from his wife, Ani, but steps in to assist her after she suffers a severe accident.

Ani is a woman in her early forties with a dry, acerbic wit and a stubborn streak. Following a severe car accident six months ago, she has quadriplegia and relies on a wheelchair and caretakers for daily routines. Separated from Eddie after two decades of marriage, she is independent in spirit and deeply hesitant to let him back into her life. She prefers the impersonal assistance of professional nurses over his familiar presence.

Jess is a first-generation American in her twenties who works multiple late-night bartending jobs to survive. Despite graduating from Princeton with honors, she faces significant financial struggles. Guarded and pragmatic, she applies to bathe and care for a wealthy graduate student. She keeps her personal hardships firmly hidden behind a tough, capable exterior to secure the income she desperately needs.

John is a wealthy, highly educated political science PhD student at Princeton in his twenties. He has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, relying on hired help for personal grooming and daily physical maintenance. Living alone for the first time, he uses his financial privilege to hire private staff rather than agency nurses. He projects arrogance to mask his insecurities about intimacy and physical vulnerability.