Mercy is a trained artist and the mother of three children. A dreamer by nature, she fantasizes about escaping the demands of domestic life to pursue her painting. She slowly sets up an independent routine in a rented studio, maintaining her marriage in name while seeking creative solitude. She prefers to focus on her art rather than cooking or engaging in familial conflict.

Robin is a hardworking, practical plumber who inherits his father-in-law's business. Having lost his parents at a young age, he values family stability above all else and harbors a deep aversion to divorce. He frequently fails to recognize the emotional needs of his wife and children, causing friction despite his earnest intentions.

Alice is the eldest child of the Garrett family. Highly observant and duty-bound, she takes charge of family situations, stepping into domestic roles her mother avoids. She views herself as the gatekeeper of propriety, frequently expressing harsh judgments regarding the behavior of her relatives while meticulously planning her own life.

Lily is the emotionally driven, romantically focused middle child of the Garrett family. Strikingly attractive, she frequently falls into intense infatuations and relies heavily on relationships to guide her choices. She lacks the organizational skills of her older sister, instead adopting a spontaneous, unplanned approach to life.

David is the youngest child and only son of Robin and Mercy. Intelligent and sensitive, he feels burdened by his father's arbitrary expectations and traumatized by early childhood incidents. He seeks emotional distance from his family's discord, valuing privacy and eventually building an independent life as a teacher in Philadelphia.

Serena is the organized and self-sufficient daughter of Lily and Morris. Having grown up in the distant Garrett clan, she idealizes large, gregarious families but feels out of place among them. She often worries about social dynamics and struggles to find where she truly belongs.

Candle/Kendall is the spontaneous and artistically gifted youngest child of Alice and Kevin. Possessing a strong personality, she rejects her mother's rigid scheduling in favor of creative freedom. She finds a kindred spirit in her grandmother, who nurtures her painting talent and teaches her to view the world differently.

Eddie is the middle child of Alice and Kevin. Unlike his father, who develops retail properties, Eddie enjoys working with his hands and understanding mechanical tools. He manages the family plumbing-supply business and is a private person who carefully separates his romantic life from his relatives.

Greta is a high-school nurse and the daughter of immigrants. Older than David, she is candid, honest, and completely accepting of him. Her straightforward communication style offers a sharp contrast to the Garrett family's typical habit of avoiding difficult conversations.

Morris is an ordinary-looking but deeply sincere man who adores Lily. He serves as a stabilizing force in her life, contrasting sharply with her previous flashy boyfriends. He eagerly embraces starting a family with her and manages to charm his gruff father-in-law.

Kevin is a retail-property developer who provides his family with financial stability and upward mobility. He hopes his son will follow in his business footsteps but focuses primarily on his own comfortable suburban life and daily golf routines.

Nicholas is the son of David and Greta. Working as an inventor in New York, he maintains a pragmatic, easygoing connection with his parents, representing the functional, communicative family dynamic that David worked to build.

Claude is Eddie's supportive partner. He willingly accommodates Eddie's need for privacy regarding their relationship, demonstrating patience and a quiet understanding of Eddie's complex family dynamics.

James is Serena's confident and casual boyfriend. Coming from a boisterous, emotionally open family, he struggles to understand the emotional distance and anxiety present in Serena's behavior toward her own relatives.

Trent is a college student camping with his family near the Garretts. He quickly charms a teenage Lily, using his maturity and smooth demeanor to impress her while concealing less honorable intentions.

Originally named Tamar, Tomorrow is a young, tattooed art teacher. She recognizes Candle/Kendall's innate painting talent and encourages her to pursue oil painting, serving as an early source of artistic validation.

Magda is a longtime friend of Mercy and an abstract artist. She shares Mercy's creative sensibilities and enjoys trading minor gossip, though her highly priced abstract art confuses Candle/Kendall.

Emily is Greta's daughter from a previous relationship. She joins the Garrett family gatherings with a bit of tween reluctance but successfully integrates into the new family structure her mother builds with David.

Robby the Girl is the eldest daughter of Alice and Kevin, named after her grandfather Robin. Her naming becomes a point of contention between her mother and her aunt Lily.

Robby the Boy is the son of Lily and Morris, also named after his grandfather Robin. He is observant, asking pointed questions about family relationships that mirror his uncle David's childhood curiosity.

Benny is the energetic, five-year-old son of Nicholas and Juana. Boasting jet-black hair and an unquenchable imagination, he shares many mannerisms and traits with his grandfather David's younger self.