George serves as the deuteragonist—second in importance to the protagonist—and is a dynamic and round character whose defining trait is his deep loyalty to and love for Frankie. His emotional landscape is shaped by the early trauma of his mother’s death and his father’s abandonment, which instills in him a profound fear of loss that governs his actions. This fear is the primary reason why he keeps his romantic feelings for Frankie a secret for over two decades, introducing The Challenges of Transitioning From Friends to Lovers as a central theme in the novel. He channels his confessions into a series of unsent letters stored in a locked wooden chest, representing his secret desire for more than friendship. George’s reluctance to risk their friendship by revealing his love is his central conflict. He waits for the “perfect moment” that never seems to arrive, choosing a life of self-imposed emotional distance while remaining Frankie’s most constant supporter.

George is fiercely loyal, a trait evident from his protective defense of Frankie in high school and his inadvertent sabotage of her engagement to Nate, a man he feels makes her “smaller. Quieter. Dull” (77). This protective instinct is born from their shared history and the promise he makes as a child: “I’ll always be your best friend, no matter what” (45). After Nate leaves Frankie, George masterminds their trip to Tofino to help her reconnect with her authentic self.

George’s restlessness is a key aspect of his character, manifesting in his career as an environmental journalist that takes him to the farthest corners of the globe. This constant travel allows him to maintain a self-protective distance to cope with his growing romantic feelings for Frankie and the traumatic memories of his past. His journey is a slow progression toward emotional bravery. He must learn to stop running, both literally and figuratively, and confront his fears in order to finally build a permanent home with Frankie, the person who has been his true home all along.

Nate is the novel’s antagonist and the primary catalyst for the novel’s plot. As Frankie’s fiancé, he represents a life of respectable stability and calm that she believes she should want. He’s 16 years her senior and a tenured professor, offering a stark contrast to the passionate and somewhat chaotic world of Frankie’s life before him. However, Nate is drawn to a subdued version of Frankie, a woman who has consciously tempered her fiery personality in the wake of professional burnout. When confronted with Frankie’s true, headstrong nature during an argument, Nate is shaken. His decision to end the engagement via a note, stating, “I love you, but I can’t marry you” (32), is a cowardly act, yet it stems from the realization that he doesn’t truly know the woman he’s about to marry. His departure, while devastating, is the necessary event that triggers Frankie’s journey of self-discovery, making his role in the narrative brief but essential.

Rebecca, Frankie’s mother, is a complex character whose past actions are the source of Frankie’s deepest emotional wound. Her abrupt, year-and-a-half-long absence to study North Atlantic right whales when Frankie is eight is the formative trauma that instills in her daughter a fear of abandonment and a suspicion that love requires the sacrifice of one’s identity. For most of the novel, Frankie views her mother’s actions through the lens of childhood betrayal. However, as Frankie matures, she learns to see her mother as a woman torn between her passion, symbolized by the whales, and her love for her family. Rebecca’s decision to leave and her subsequent return highlight the difficult compromises that women often face between their families and their careers. Frankie’s journey toward understanding and forgiving Rebecca is parallel to her own path to self-acceptance, culminating in a conversation that heals the decades-old rift between them.

Mimi, George’s grandmother and guardian, serves as the archetypal wise mentor. A former ballerina with a dramatic flair and a sharp tongue, she provides a stable and loving home for George after his father abandons him. The Big House becomes the backdrop for George and Frankie’s friendship, and Mimi acts as its discerning matriarch. She’s a keen observer of human nature and is skeptical of Frankie’s relationship with Nate from the outset, recognizing that he’s not the right man for her. Mimi offers poignant advice that often cuts to the heart of the matter, telling Frankie, “You can never go back, ma chère. You can only go forward” (57). She’s a keeper of secrets but also a quiet facilitator of George and Frankie’s eventual romance, representing the wisdom of experience and the enduring power of their shared history.

Aurora is Frankie’s supportive best friend and confidante in Toronto. As a tattoo artist, she is a creative and perceptive individual who provides Frankie with a safe haven immediately following the disastrous end of her engagement. She functions as a crucial sounding board, offering unconditional support and a romantic’s perspective on Frankie’s life. Unlike the deeply intertwined and complicated history that Frankie shares with George, her friendship with Aurora is more straightforward and contemporary. Aurora acts as an audience surrogate, initially supporting Frankie’s relationship with Nate but enthusiastically switching her allegiance to “team Laurie” once she witnesses the undeniable connection between Frankie and George. Her presence highlights the importance of female friendship as a source of stability and encouragement during times of personal upheaval.