Simon is a married man walking through Kew Gardens with his wife and children. He walks slightly ahead of his family, lost in thought as he remembers a rejected marriage proposal from fifteen years ago. He finds clarity and contentment in these memories, recognizing that the rejection allowed him to build his current life.

Eleanor is Simon's wife, walking alongside him through the botanical garden. She possesses a mature appreciation for the past, finding comfort in vivid childhood memories rather than romantic ones. She clearly recalls an old woman kissing her neck during an art class.

A young, lower-status woman visiting the garden with her romantic partner. She desires to linger in the natural beauty of the setting but finds herself pulled away by her partner's impatience. She experiences a brief, intense emotional connection when their hands accidentally brush against each other.

Trissie's unnamed companion. While he shares a momentary, unspoken emotional connection with Trissie, he remains preoccupied with social status and finances. He insists on leaving the peaceful garden to participate in the social ritual of getting tea at a public café.

An elderly, unnamed gentleman walking through the garden with a younger companion. He speaks rapidly about spirits, war widows, and memories of Uruguay from his youth. His erratic behavior and references to loss mark him as a vestige of a former era struggling to exist in the post-war world.

A calm and patient younger man who walks with the older gentleman. He functions as a caregiver, guiding his companion through the garden. He quickly intervenes when the older man begins to behave unpredictably or approach female strangers.

A stout, elderly woman of the lower-middle class. She initially engages in repetitive, shallow gossip with her companion while silently judging the wealthy visitors around them. Her attention eventually shifts entirely to the intricate beauty of the surrounding flowers, causing her to tune out the conversation completely.

A rosy-cheeked, lower-middle-class woman walking through the garden. She maintains a constant flow of superficial conversation with her friend. She remains completely unaware when her companion stops listening to focus on the brightly colored flowerbed.

A small creature moving through the vast ecosystem of the central flowerbed. Immune to the human concerns of money, status, or romance, the snail focuses entirely on evaluating the texture of a dead leaf to determine the best path forward. Its presence represents the endurance of the natural world.

A woman from Simon's past who rejected his marriage proposal. She exists in the story entirely through Simon's vivid memories of their hot afternoon by a lake in Kew Gardens. He remembers her tapping shoe as a clear sign of her impatience.

The daughter of Simon and Eleanor. She walks with her family through the botanical garden on a hot July day, silently participating in the family outing.

The son of Simon and Eleanor, accompanying his parents and sister on their stroll past the colorful flowerbeds.