Mary Brennan's unnamed parents and siblings Nessa and Seamus, the Brennans are divided over Mary's romance with newcomer Louis. The siblings try to stop their father from telling her to look in a mirror and quit making a fool of herself. They fight every night and will not allow Louis in the house, even in the dead of winter. When they meet in the church, Fr. O'Connor throws them out. The parents are irate when three days before Christmas Mary withdraws her money, quits her job, and moves with Louis to London. Mary writes home just once to explain how all is well and then ignores all letters from home. Nessa writes about Pres. John F. Kennedy's visit to Ireland and Seamus writes that things are dead at home. He is sorry for their old father. When Louis dies, Mary sends a condolence card but ignores her parents for another ten years. Letters from home say that her father is now nearly blind and her mother is attending church more than ever. Nessa has married the pub owner's son and has six children. Seamus appears to have become a money-hungry black sheep.