Maybe in Another Life

Gabby Hudson is Hannah’s childhood best friend who works as the VP of Development at a non-profit and lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Mark. Gabby is an intelligent and compassionate woman and provides Hannah with endless love and support. When Hannah discovers she is pregnant and decides to keep the baby despite its father being out of the picture, Gabby is there to offer her support. In the alternative storyline that sees Hannah recovering in the hospital following a hit-and-run, Gabby stays by her side nearly every night. It is in Gabby that Hannah finds a place to call home.

Very much the product of her parents, Gabby is strong-willed and forthright, unafraid to say what she is thinking or stand by her beliefs. Though she is a successful career woman with a beautiful home and a loving family, her life is by no means perfect. The greatest strain in Gabby’s life in both storylines is her relationship with Mark. In both storylines, Gabby admits that she does not truly believe Mark is her soul mate, and in both storylines, she ends up divorcing him and eventually marrying her high school crush, Jesse Flint. Though the pain of discovering Mark has been cheating on her is unbearable, Gabby decides to reach out to Jesse Flint, demonstrating her desire to finally pursue the love and life she deserves.

Ethan is a 30-year-old man living in Los Angeles. Kind and caring, Ethan was Hannah’s first love. Despite the fact that a decade has gone by since they last dated, Ethan admits to Hannah at her homecoming party that he has always had feelings for her.

Though the alternating storylines see two different outcomes for Ethan and Hannah (one in which they end up together and one in which they simply remain friends), Ethan proves to be a generous and thoughtful person in both realities. Though he is resistant at first, Ethan decides to raise another man’s child with Hannah, suggesting that he loves her enough to weather the hardships that come with parenthood, especially because he expresses reservations about becoming a father sooner than he planned. Though Ethan breaks up with Hannah, at one point, in both storylines, the fact that he also admits to her that he has always loved her in both storylines indicates that he cares deeply about her, whether it be as her friend or her lover.

In fact, Ethan remaining good friends with Hannah in the storyline that sees her ending up with Henry further suggests that Ethan is a genuine friend, willing to put their past behind him and love and support Hannah in any way she needs.

Tina and Carl Hudson are the parents of Gabby Hudson and live in Los Angeles. Having invited Hannah to live with them when her family moved to London when she was 16, the Hudsons are like family to Hannah and love her as if she were their own. Carl is a successful doctor unafraid to ask uncomfortable questions and speak his mind, and Tina is loving and maternal, encouraging everyone to eat their vegetables.

Throughout the novel, the Hudsons prove to care deeply about Hannah and are more than willing to help her live the life she wants. Though they do not keep in touch regularly, Hannah knows “that if I need anything, I’ve always known they would step in” (101). Like any good parents, the Hudsons encourage Hannah to live her life to the fullest, often reminding her that she smart and capable. Their belief in Hannah’s abilities and willingness to support her as if she were their own daughter are most evident when Carl offers her a job at his practice. Carl’s insistence that Hannah take the job to get useful office experience and make money points to the Hudsons’ overall “generosity and thoughtfulness” (122).

Aside from Hannah, the Martin family is comprised of Hannah’s younger sister, Sarah, and her mother and father, all of whom have lived in London since Hannah was 16. Moving away so Sarah could attend a prestigious pre-professional ballet academy, the Martins became geographically and emotionally distant from Hannah.

This sense of separation is clear when the Martins visit Hannah in the hospital: Hannah recognizes immediately that she feels emotionally far away from her family and cannot help but feel separate from them. This is demonstrated in a scene in which Hannah’s father refers to her by her childhood pet name; Hannah considers that perhaps her father still uses the name “because he really only knows me as a child” (125). The fact that her father continues to refer to her the way he did when she was a child further illustrates that despite the fact that they all clearly love one another, Hannah is not close to her family. Moreover, the fact that Hannah essentially sends her parents back to London despite their plan to stay and care for her while she is recovering further indicates that to Hannah, “they are not my support system” (127).

Despite their flawed relationship, Hannah’s family is willing to support her in any way they can. When Hannah announces her pregnancy in her storyline with Ethan, the family’s excitement and insistence that Hannah move to London so they can help raise the child point to the fact that despite the distance, they are ready and eager to support her in any way they can.

Mark is a 30-something man who works as a dentist and lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Gabby, whom he met at college. Mark is reserved and quiet, rarely interacting with Hannah, despite the fact that she is living in his house. The fact that Mark does not visit Hannah while she is in the hospital for an extended period points to the fact that Mark feels no obligation to get close to her, despite her close friendship with his own wife.

Mark’s relationship with Gabby, while largely amiable, is noticeably lackluster. Never in the novel (in either storyline) do readers witness Mark express romantic love, affection, or general interest in his wife. Mark’s clear lack of interest in his marriage becomes undeniable when, in both storylines, it is revealed that he has been having an affair. The fact that one storyline sees Gabby catch him in the act and another sees Mark confess to his infidelity and file for divorce behind her back suggests that he is perhaps not as forthright and strong-willed as his wife, who tackles challenges head on, but instead is more likely to proceed passively or in secret.

Henry is a 30-something man originally from Texas living in Los Angeles and working as a nurse. In one of the storylines, Henry serves as Hannah’s night nurse. Often leaving Hannah her favorite snacks and even teaching her to use her wheelchair, Henry is thoughtful and attentive. Under Henry’s care, Hannah realizes he is deeply passionate about his job and wants nothing more in life than to help those around him. Henry’s thoughtful and attentive nature is especially evident when he willingly changes shifts so as not to continue getting close to Hannah, a decision that would put his career in jeopardy.

Though he is generally positive and upbeat throughout the novel, Henry lives with a deep-seated emotional wound from having lost his sister when he was a teenager. That trauma and loss turn out to be his inspiration to go to nursing school. Henry’s desire to become a nurse in order to serve others suggests that he is deeply compassionate and empathetic.

Henry’s resolve to find Hannah again once she is no longer a patient indicates that he is both hopeful and committed to following his heart. The fact that he intentionally visits her favorite bakery, hoping to meet her, suggests that he is serious about wanting to pursue a relationship with her.