Jessica Berglund

Grew Up… with an insensitive brother. When their parents were out of town, Joey spent the whole time having loud sex with his girlfriend, while Jessica was in charge of supervising him in their parents’ absence. Jessica never had a good relationship with her brother, for as long as she can remember.

Living… in St. Paul, Minn., a normal Midwestern city. Jessica goes to school, she gets good grades. She’s the opposite of her problem-child brother Joey. But as a result, she receives far less attention from her parents, and is kind of sad about that.

Interests… “enrichment.” Jessica likes learning, and not only in an academic sense. When Joey went with their mother Patty to fix up the old lake house, Jessica stayed at home with her father Walter and took “an enrichment class in poetry.” Her voraciousness for culture and learning makes her wise beyond her limited years.  

Relationship Status… dating. It’s almost impossible for her to find a good guy to date, even when she goes away to school. She starts seeing a jock type in college, but even her mother Patty can tell that the relationship won’t last. Even so, Jessica would appreciate if her mother would just stand by her decisions and be happy about anyone she’s dating.

Challenge… not getting caught up further in the middle of her parents’ marital battle. Jessica finds it hard to not take sides when the blades start getting sharpened. She shifts back and forth between siding with her mother and her father, but her strongest allegiances ultimately lie with Walter—even if only because she’s more bitter toward Patty, who never really listened to her enough.

Personality… well-meaning and agreeable, but also a little bitter. She tries to see the best in both of her parents, but she often ends up feeling resentful instead. In retrospect, she doesn’t like the way she was brought up, and she doesn’t like the way her mother tries to relate to her when it might already be too late for them to become close.