PJ is a 63-year-old former postman and lottery winner living in Pondville, Massachusetts. He suffers from alcohol use disorder and poor health following three heart attacks, while carrying heavy guilt over the death of his teenage daughter, Kate. He relies heavily on his ex-wife Ivy and her partner Fred for daily stability. Upon learning that his high school sweetheart is widowed, he decides to get sober and drive cross-country to propose to her, a plan complicated when he is named guardian of his orphaned grandniece and grandnephew.

Sophie is PJ and Ivy's 22-year-old surviving daughter. Recently unemployed and struggling with clinical depression, she exercises constantly to cope with her feelings of aimlessness. She acts as a reluctant caregiver to her father, harboring frustration over his past reckless behavior while still worrying about his physical well-being. She agrees to drive the family to Arizona simply to change her scenery.

Luna is PJ's young grandniece who is suddenly orphaned following a tragic family event. Defiant and closed off, she uses silence, shoplifting, and rebellion to shield herself from further pain. She holds a strong conviction that a famous soap opera star is her real father and demands a stop in Texas to find him.

Ollie is Luna's brother and PJ's grandnephew, recently orphaned by the sudden deaths of his parents. He is highly protective of his sister and carries the heavy burden of keeping her secrets. Though young, he shows sharp emotional intelligence and a strong desire for a stable, predictable life.

Pancakes is an orange cat with an uncanny habit of lingering near people shortly before they die. After escaping from the local animal shelter, he attaches himself to PJ and becomes a quiet, constant companion on the family's road trip. He provides comfort to the children while serving as a silent observer to the adults.

Ivy is PJ's ex-wife and the mother of Sophie and Kate. Despite their divorce, she maintains a close, slightly codependent friendship with PJ, managing many of his daily needs like grocery shopping and filtering upsetting news from his daily paper. She leaves for a trip with her partner Fred, forcing PJ to manage on his own.

Fred is Ivy's partner who treats PJ with kindness and patience. He provides financial and emotional support to Sophie without telling Ivy, and he acts as a stabilizing, practical presence in the extended family dynamic.

Kate is PJ and Ivy's deceased daughter, who died by drowning in a cranberry bog after her high school prom. Her memory looms large over the family, fundamentally shaping PJ's alcohol use and Sophie's sense of isolation.

Michelle is PJ's high school sweetheart who now lives in a retirement community in Tucson, Arizona. Recently widowed, she becomes the idealized focal point of PJ's romantic fantasies and the intended destination for his cross-country trip.

Mark Stackpole is a famous soap opera actor who once lived in Pondville. Luna firmly believes he is her biological father and fixates on meeting him at a fan convention in Texas to demand a paternity test.

Belinda is the social worker assigned to handle Ollie and Luna's case after their parents' deaths. She conducts the home inspection and coordinates their placement with PJ.

Elaine is PJ's niece and the mother of Ollie and Luna. Overwhelmed by deep depression and grief following a traumatic family history, she makes a series of fatal decisions that ultimately orphan her children.

Frank is Elaine's husband and a local police officer. His infidelities and sudden death set off the chain of events that lead to Ollie and Luna needing a new guardian.

Gene was PJ's childhood friend who avoided the Vietnam draft and married PJ's high school sweetheart, Michelle. His recent passing prompts PJ to reconsider his own romantic future.

Chip is PJ's estranged brother and the grandfather of Ollie and Luna. His abusive actions before his death caused severe, lasting trauma for his family.