Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of illness, death, substance use, and mental illness.

Adrian Copeland, the main male character, is an accomplished lawyer and represents the antithesis of spontaneity, thriving on predictability and meticulous planning. He is emotionally guarded and disconnected from everyday life. His breakup has made him wary of emotional risk, and his father’s abandonment manifests as an obsession with control and a reluctance to form attachments. He struggles to change despite recognizing his tendency toward overprotection, as he admits, “I did miss feeling like I had a purpose” (22). His professional success, based on anticipating problems and creating safeguards, reinforces his belief that control equals safety.

When Vanessa enters Adrian’s carefully constructed world, he faces its ultimate challenge. As he becomes involved in Vanessa’s chaotic, spontaneous, and emotionally rich life, first through proximity and then by choice, Adrian is gradually pulled out of his comfort zone. She says, “You are the kind of man who can’t see the shapes in the clouds. And it’s not because you lack imagination. It’s because you’re too busy to look up” (108). Vanessa lives by a carpe diem philosophy that challenges Adrian’s controlled worldview. Their relationship thrives because Vanessa embodies everything Adrian has spent his life avoiding: unpredictability, vulnerability, and emotional rawness.