Joy is an 89-year-old widow who has spent her life adhering strictly to the expectations of her parents, her late husband, and society. Living a quiet and cautious existence in a small town, she finds comfort in her daily routines and her beloved garden. When she receives devastating news about her best friend's health, she is forced to confront her passive habits and question the rules she has always followed.

Hazel is Joy's fiercely independent best friend who currently resides in a Brooklyn loft. Confident and charismatic, she has spent her life traveling the world and taking up space wherever she goes. She receives a terminal cancer diagnosis, which she accepts with a cavalier attitude that deeply unsettles her closest friend.

Rowan is a heavily tattooed man who recently moved into a bungalow in Joy's neighborhood. Despite local gossip labeling him as a former inmate, he presents a gentle and empathetic demeanor to those he meets. He works as a piano tuner and seeks a slower-paced life outside the city.

Elizabeth is Joy's adult daughter. As an overworked intensive care nurse and single mother, she often feels weary and financially strained. She maintains an emotionally distant relationship with her mother, whom she views as overly committed to toxic positivity, preferring the company of the more outspoken Hazel.

Finn is Joy's sixteen-year-old grandson. Highly perceptive and sensitive, he maintains a loving relationship with his grandmother, frequently spending time with her playing board games. He often acts as a calming presence when tensions rise between his mother and grandmother.

Celeste is Joy's sophisticated next-door neighbor. She hosts local crafting circles and associates with wealthy friends who look down on simple domestic lifestyles. Joy harbors a deep resentment toward Celeste based on a painful incident from decades ago.

Thom is Joy's deceased husband. Originally a lawyer from a small town in the Hudson Valley, he preferred quiet women and expected his wife to prioritize managing their home. His past actions and rigid expectations cast a long shadow over Joy's present life.

Rita is a gossipy acquaintance who lives in Joy's neighborhood. She frequently spreads unverified stories about other residents, particularly focusing her suspicions on the new arrival, Rowan. She organizes gatherings that enforce rigid social judgments.

Philippe is Rowan's partner, living full-time in New York City. He works as an antiques restorer and maintains a successful two-decade arrangement of separate residences with Rowan.

Seth is an old acquaintance of Hazel from New York City who now runs a local secondhand shop. He owns a specific ceramic vase that Hazel covets, stubbornly refusing to sell it to her due to a decades-old grudge.

Eric is a late artist and former lover of Hazel. He died young, leaving behind a specific ceramic vase that becomes a source of long-standing conflict and deep regret for those who survived him.

Jack is Elizabeth's ex-husband and Finn's father. His unreliability and frequent absence cause ongoing distress for his son and contribute to the financial strain placed on his former wife.

Max is the local librarian in Beacon. He views Joy as a completely harmless older woman, blindly trusting her when security alarms go off and assisting her during building evacuations.