Jonathan Easton Hayes

Luke Hayes
Age: 23.
Appearance: Blond-haired, blue-eyed, with softer features than his father. He takes after his mother. Smiling, outgoing, the life of the party. He is a senior in the journalism program.
Relationship with his father: They love each other but don’t understand one another. Luke sees his father as a robot incapable of emotion. Jonathan considers his son frivolous. Luke tries to “pull” his father out of his shell by inviting him to his parties, while his father criticizes his choice of friends and future career.
Role in the plot: It is Luke who brings the main character to the Hayes’ house. He sees her as a kindred spirit, but in a purely platonic way. However, sensing the tension between her and his father, Luke begins to feel subconsciously jealous, which creates an internal conflict.

Wife's name: Lilian Hayes (née Morrison).
This is a tragic, but not sensational, story. She and John were married for seven years. Lilian was an artist, free as the wind, and very talented. When Luke was 5 years old, Lilian began suffering from bipolar disorder, which was exacerbated by postpartum depression that became chronic. John tried to help: the best clinics, therapy, medication. But Lilian refused treatment, hating the “brain fog” caused by the pills. She didn’t want to be “broken” in her son’s eyes. She didn’t die, and she didn’t abandon them.
The real reason: When Luke was 8, Lilian left. She left a letter saying she was going to an artist residency in Europe because “here, in this quiet harbor, she feels suffocated.” In reality, she left to be with her former art dealer; their romance quickly fell apart. For the past 14 years, Lilian has been living in San Francisco, leading a bohemian lifestyle, periodically sending Luke postcards and money, but never coming home for Christmas. To Luke, she has become a “distant aunt.”
John’s resentment: He isn’t angry that she left. He’s angry that she left at the wrong time, leaving their eight-year-old son to ask at night, “Dad, am I a bad boy? Does Mom not love me?” John has learned to hide this pain behind his work.

At first glance, John seems reserved, taciturn, even sullen. He doesn’t care for small talk or idle chatter. In social situations, he keeps his distance, preferring to observe rather than participate. But in reality, John is an overly responsible perfectionist. He’s used to shouldering the burden of responsibility for everyone around him. He has a keen sense of duty that sometimes borders on self-sacrifice. He’s a “fixer” by nature: if something breaks, he’ll fix it; if someone is crying, he’ll solve the problem. But he himself is completely unable to talk about his emotions. He drowns them out with work or with silent solitude in his workshop, poring over blueprints. Deep down, John is a romantic, but he hides it carefully. He loves old things, believes that every house has a soul, and pays close attention to detail. However, after losing his wife, it’s as if he locked away his emotions. He’s reserved with people, but not cruel. If he takes someone under his wing, he becomes the most reliable person in the world. His trust must be earned, but once he lets someone into his inner circle, he’ll defend them to the very end.

Age: 47.
Occupation: Private architect and contractor; owner of the small but well-respected firm "Hayes & Co. Restoration." He specializes in the restoration of old Victorian mansions. John is the kind of man people describe as “looking older than his years, but incredibly attractive.” He’s tall—about 188 cm—broad-shouldered, with a broad chest and strong arms accustomed to physical labor (he still goes out to job sites himself when the work is difficult). From constant exposure to the sun and wind, his skin is weathered, with early wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and deep nasolabial folds that give his face a stern, almost somber expression when he is silent. His hair is thick and ash-blond, with a heavy streak of gray at the temples; it’s always slightly disheveled, as if he’s constantly running his hand through it in thought. His eyes are a cold gray-blue shade, reminiscent of the color of the winter ocean. They convey both weariness and a keen, scrutinizing gaze. He wears reading glasses on a chain, but often forgets to take them off and walks around the house like that.