Alone with You in the Ether: A Love Story

The novel’s other protagonist and half of its love story, Aldo is considered a genius by those around him because of his ability to calculate complex theoretical equations in his mind. He spends most of his time contemplating the nature of the universe and of time, foregrounding the theme of The Passages and Consequences of Time. He believes that time travels along hexagonal paths and deeply admires bees and their ability to create these same paths. Aldo has a history of substance use and struggles with mental illness, supporting the theme of Navigating and Accepting Mental Illness. He sometimes considers death by suicide, but Regan gives him hope and inspiration to continue on. He teaches calculus at the university but dislikes his job and puts up with it only for the sake of earning his PhD. Aldo is introverted and prefers to spend time with himself rather than at parties or surrounded by other people. He makes an exception when Regan comes into his life. Aldo is practical, straightforward, and prefers routine; he doesn’t consider his mental health worthy of drama.

In meeting Regan, Aldo sees an infinitely complex and unsolvable problem, and it brings him back to life. His greatest passion takes the form of solving impossible problems, and this is what draws him to her. Because Regan is the stronger personality of the two, Aldo is consumed by Regan and led by her sexually and romantically. He notices that over time, being with Regan changes how he perceives the universe and time. Aldo and Regan are almost nothing alike, but this is exactly what draws them to each other, illustrating the theme of Love as a Composite of Contradictions and Opposites. Aldo experiences a period of doubt in which he’s not sure whether the way he needs Regan is love or just a compulsion, but upon reflection he concludes that she’s his reason for living.

Regan’s boyfriend before she meets and falls in love with Aldo, Marc is manipulative and sees Regan more as something to possess and control than as an equal partner in a relationship. He likes to feel needed and puts on an act of trying to protect Regan but in truth spends most of his time patronizing her or telling her that another man would never accept her. Marc is “a lover of all things beautiful, all things sensual, though he loved them best as a caretaker, a keeper” (127). Regan initially dates and falls for him because despite his tendency toward manipulation, he’s flexible and always willing to go with her moods. If she wants sex, he agrees; if she wants to talk endlessly about the universe, he listens. When Regan says she wants to break up or tells Marc that she’s taking Aldo to the family gathering, Marc doesn’t take her seriously and claims she’s just being dramatic or odd. In truth, Regan is falling in love with Aldo and slowly distances herself from Marc before breaking up with him. Marc resurfaces later when Regan’s parents invite him to a party and he attempts to tell Aldo that he’s being used in part of Regan’s pattern. The conversation contributes to Aldo’s doubts and to his temporary breakup with Regan.

Aldo’s father, Masso, raised Aldo on his own but doesn’t take pride in this fact or boast about it. Masso is deeply rooted in his Italian heritage and runs an Italian restaurant in Los Angeles. He loves his son more than anything, and although he rarely has free time, he takes what little time he has to call Aldo and check in with him. Masso is a loving, doting father whose warmth is almost overwhelming. When Regan meets him, she feels like she’s falling in love with Aldo all over again and can see where Aldo’s own compassion comes from. Masso likes Regan but believes that she’s not the right woman for Aldo. He sees in her the same traits that Aldo’s mother had and believes that Regan will one day desert Aldo on an impulse; if she doesn’t, Masso is sure that Aldo will become exhausted trying to keep up with her. Aldo always appreciates his father’s concern but disagrees with his assertions about Regan and fights to keep her in his life.

Regan’s family is composed of her sister, Madeline; their parents; her niece, Carissa; and Madeline’s husband. Carissa is Regan’s favorite family member, and she relates most with her, but she has always lived in Madeline’s shadow. Madeline has excelled in every aspect of life, including her career and relationship, and their parents always made Regan feel as if she didn’t measure up. Madeline likes Aldo because he seems to understand Regan, but Regan’s parents are put off by his introversion and find him strange and rude. Regan’s mother is highly critical and regularly implies that her daughter is failing at life. They argue when they’re together, and when they’re not, Regan’s mother’s voice often criticizes her in her mind. Regan’s father is cold and distant, and Regan always sought his approval as a child. In adulthood, she realizes that his approval was never worth much when she sees the painting in his office again and realizes that it’s only average. Regan’s desperate need for approval and attention from men likely stems from her lack of approval and the distance she felt from her father growing up. Regan doesn’t resolve the conflicts with her family, instead relying on absence and seeing them as infrequently as possible. When she does get dragged into an event, she takes Aldo with her, even though neither of them want to be there. While Regan was likely born with some degree of mental illness, her parents clearly played no part in supporting her, instead only making it worse by criticizing and shaming her. Regan’s alternate identity of Charlotte represents the version of herself that she perceives her family expects her to be.