Marie is a professor who teaches at Ohio University, managing a popular wait-listed class titled "How to Say No." She feels overwhelmed by the logistical and emotional labor of raising two young sons and increasingly alienated from her husband. She takes a pragmatic, action-oriented approach to life, often focusing on fixing external problems to avoid her internal turmoil. Her desire for change leads her to trial a physical separation to reflect on her marriage.

Lucy is a novelist based in Chicago who questions the financial instability and emotional toll of her career path. Disillusioned by the publishing industry, she decides to publicly abandon writing in a viral essay and enrolls in an MBA program at Ohio University. She is highly articulate and creative, using her way with words to comfort her friends while searching for a practical way to achieve stability.

Brooke lives in Colorado and has spent years enduring physically and emotionally grueling IVF treatments in a bid to start a family. Recognizing the toll this singular focus takes on her well-being, she decides to stop the treatments entirely. She adores her supportive husband, and together they decide to sell their home and travel, seeking a different kind of fulfillment outside traditional expectations.

Collins is a young widow living in Athens, Ohio, where she manages the estate of her late husband. She feels paralyzed by grief and trapped in a stasis, describing her sorrow as a riptide she is too exhausted to fight. Unsure of her identity outside of being a manager and a widow, she hesitantly joins her friends' pact in an attempt to stop isolating herself from life.

Kyle is Marie's husband who works in Columbus while the family lives near Athens. He is largely disengaged from the daily logistical labor of raising their sons, preferring to maintain the status quo. When Marie initiates a separation to seek a more equitable arrangement, he misinterprets her boundaries and responds with defensiveness rather than collaboration.

Mitch is Brooke's devoted husband who has quietly put his own professional ambitions on hold to support her through years of IVF treatments. When Brooke decides to stop trying to conceive, he immediately supports her choice without hesitation. He enthusiastically embraces their new plan to sell their house and travel the world, proving himself to be an adaptable and deeply committed partner.

Sara is Sullivan's adult biological daughter, who initially maintains a strained and antagonistic relationship with Collins. She carries regret over her historically fractured dynamic with her father and her previous refusal to help manage his artistic legacy. Her lingering presence adds emotional complexity to Collins's mourning process as they dispute how best to handle the estate.

Enzo is an attractive and insightful admissions counselor at a prestigious MBA program in Chicago. He provides candid, helpful advice to Lucy, suggesting she consider a more flexible program at her alma mater instead of his expensive institution. He quickly becomes a supportive figure in her life, encouraging her to merge her creative talents with her new business ambitions.

Travis is Collins's handsome neighbor in Athens, Ohio. He demonstrates patient, unrequited affection for Collins, offering a glimpse of potential connection that she fiercely resists due to her grief. His presence highlights the emotional complexities of Collins's isolation and the difficulty she faces in moving forward from her past.

Sullivan is Collins's late husband and a renowned visual artist who died in a fire at his studio. His legacy heavily influences the actions of those he left behind. Even in death, his memory acts as a central force in Collins's life, dictating her daily actions and preventing her from envisioning a future without him.

Connor is Marie and Kyle's older son. He experiences the confusing transition of his parents' separation and the sudden move to a new household. Like many children in his position, he must adapt to the shifting dynamics between his parents while finding comfort in the extended support system provided by his mother's friends.

Wade is Marie and Kyle's younger son. He embraces the adventure of moving closer to his mother's friends but remains sensitive to the underlying conflicts in his family. He often acts as a conduit for information between his parents, unintentionally revealing the emotional strain caused by their physical separation.

Delia is Lucy's literary agent who represents her career in the publishing industry. She operates with a strictly commercial mindset, prioritizing marketability and industry trends. When Lucy decides to quit writing, Delia views the choice primarily through the lens of lost revenue and disruption to her other clients, continually pressuring Lucy to capitalize on her sudden viral fame.

Evie is the owner of the barn that Sullivan used as his art studio before his death. She finds herself caught in the aftermath of the tragedy, needing to clear her property while attempting to handle Collins's intense grief. She holds onto salvaged items from the fire, waiting for someone to take responsibility for them.

Paige is a classmate of Lucy's in the Ohio University MBA program. She represents the new academic and professional network Lucy begins to build after leaving her writing career behind. Paige provides valuable connections, inviting Lucy to participate in a symposium that helps bridge her past experiences with her future ambitions.