Dolly serves as the novel’s protagonist, a dynamic and round character whose journey is defined by her struggle to reconcile her deeply ingrained identity as a caretaker with her own desires for personal fulfillment and romantic love. At 39, she is a kindergarten teacher, Uber driver, and call-center operator, a collection of jobs that highlights her resourcefulness and the financial precarity that necessitates her constant work. Her defining trait is a fierce self-sufficiency, a defense mechanism developed in response to her mother’s abandonment when she was 12. This event forced her into the role of a surrogate parent to her siblings and a co-manager of the household, a responsibility she continues to carry for her father and her brother Christopher. This history shapes her worldview, leading her to believe she must handle every crisis alone and that relying on others inevitably leads to disappointment. Her identity is so intertwined with fixing problems for others that she struggles to articulate, or even recognize, her own needs.

The central conflict of Dolly’s arc is internal: Her fear of vulnerability clashes with her growing feelings for Stewart. Her initial interactions with him are marked by a sardonic, guarded wit, as she maintains an emotional distance to protect herself from the potential for heartbreak she associates with relationships.