Edie is a 23-year-old Black woman working an unfulfilling job in the editorial department of a children's publishing house. Living in a vermin-infested apartment in Brooklyn, she battles isolation and the lingering trauma of her parents' absence. She frequently engages in impulsive sexual encounters to find connection, eventually returning to her long-abandoned passion for painting.

Eric is a 46-year-old White digital archivist who is married and in an open relationship. He brings a set of strict rules to his dates, written by his wife, yet struggles to maintain the boundaries he sets. His interactions with Edie expose his discomfort with bridging their differences in age and race.

Rebecca is Eric's wife, a medical examiner characterized by her blunt, unabashed demeanor. She controls the parameters of Eric's open relationship and possesses a commanding physical presence. Despite the unusual circumstances of their meeting, she demonstrates an unexpected nurturing instinct toward Edie and a dedication to her exacting profession.

Akila is Eric and Rebecca's 12-year-old adopted Black daughter. Originally from Louisiana where she survived a devastating hurricane, she keeps mostly to herself and feels isolated in her predominantly White neighborhood. She relies on colorful wigs to hide the fact that she struggles to care for her natural hair.

Aria is the only other Black woman in Edie's editorial department at the children's publishing house. Described as playing the corporate game well, she maintains a polished, ambitious demeanor that contrasts sharply with Edie's chaotic workplace behavior. The two women share a quiet, competitive tension masked by professional courtesy.

Mark is the head of the art department at the publishing house where Edie works. He engages in a short-lived sexual relationship with Edie before abruptly cutting off communication following the death of her father. He maintains a calm, detached professional boundary that frustrates Edie's desire for closure.

Edie's late mother was a talented but deeply troubled woman who struggled with severe depression and drug use before taking her own life when Edie was sixteen. A pianist hailing from a family of artists, she passed down both her creative inclinations and her mental health struggles to her daughter.

Edie's father is a former navy man who struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder and the racism he faced as a Black soldier returning home. He was emotionally distant, frequently abandoning his family for long stretches of time and leaving Edie desperate for his approval.

Clay is an older Black man who worked at a gun shop in Latham. He connects with a sixteen-year-old Edie over a shared sense of trauma and isolation, ultimately impregnating her and prompting her to get an abortion.

Pradeep is Akila's math tutor who visits the house to assist her with her studies. His racist microaggressions directed at his student create tension within the household and prompt Edie to intervene.

Dr. Havermans is a well-known local dermatologist who orders from the delivery app Edie works for. He offers her cash to participate in an unusual, messy performance art task involving crushing tomatoes and eggs while listening to classical music.