Carol Connelly

Living... in New York in the Emergency Room, at least it feels that way. She’s a single mom, and her young son Spencer has such severe asthma and a weak immune system that he is always coming down with something. Just to breathe is a struggle for him. It's hard, but she thinks Spencer is completely worth it.

Profession... waitress in a diner. She has a number of regular customers including Melvin, a successful writer who has written over 64 romance novels. He comes in every day and orders the same thing, brining his own plastic utensils with him because he is not sure the silverware is clean enough. Carol thought he was attractive when she first saw him. But as she says, “Then he spoke.” Despite his lack of social graces, Carol is starting to warm up to him.

Relationship Status... single. Without much free time, dating hasn’t been much of a priority. After a long dry spell, she finally met someone and took him back to her place. But after her son vomited all over her, the date ended pretty quickly.  

Challenge... wanting it to be easier. She doesn’t have much money, and she spends all her time fighting with the HMO system over her son’s medical treatment. The good news is that Melvin said he would pay for Spencer to see another doctor. The bad news is that Carol fears he wants to sleep with her in return.

Personality... insecure and overwhelmed. She doesn’t seem to realize what a great woman she is. She is generous, witty, and strong. Even though Melvin doesn’t seem to like anyone, he is helping her gain her confidence. He said she represents “everything that is good.”