The Woman
The protagonist of the story, like all the other characters with whom she interacts, is unnamed. She's a struggling artist who feels increasingly incompetent. Later in life motherhood becomes the central theme for her. She vehemently regrets an abortion she had as a teenager, which affects her mothering abilities to her daughter as an adult. Constantly thinking about her high school boyfriend, she gives her husband a hard time. Overall she seems to be depressed and unwillingly to become intimate enough with people to develop wholesome, meaningful relationships.
The Couple Downstairs
They live on the second floor of the woman's Chicago apartment. After an eventful dating life, they finally bit the bullet to move into this place together. You might say they regret it. As the woman can attest, they argue almost constantly. While they remain hopeful, Ware includes a story about them which seems to imply that they won't survive as a couple.
The Landlady
This little old lady lives on the first floor of the woman's building. For the most part she is generous and kind to her tenants. Her soft spot is gossip; she'll stick her nose everywhere it doesn't belong.
The Ex-Boyfriend
He dated the woman while they were both teenagers. When he learns about her abortion, he loses his mind. He desperately wanted the child and blamed the woman for robbing him of his fatherhood. Much of her guilt later in life stems from his outrage over the abortion right before he left her.
The Husband
He's a flat character, never really given much thought. He tries to help the woman turn her life around when he meets her, and he seems to really love her. After the baby, however, their marriage takes an unfortunate turn. They move to the suburbs in hopes of improving their relationship with the new environment. He doesn't understand the woman's inner turmoil over motherhood because she won't open up to him about her past. Trying his best, he's not allowed to succeed because the woman harbors all of these feelings for her ex and doesn't let on that she feels that way.
The Daughter
She's just a baby when the events of this book take place. Unaware of her mother's guilt, she tries to endear herself to her mom in whatever ways a 3-4-year-old can.
