Taryn is one of the narrators and protagonists of the novel. She works in a fabric store, having gone to school to study the history, design, and manufacture of textiles. On the surface, Taryn seems to be a happy, independent, successful, and modern woman of the early 21st century. In reality, Taryn is numb. She lost her husband, Kent, in the 9/11 attacks, and though this memory obviously causes her pain, it is one she is able to tamp down until the release of photographs of her taken that day in the immediate aftermath of the attacks. When she sees the scarf she had with her that day, she immediately flashes back to and relives the horrors of the attack.

Taryn is consumed by guilt. She believes her husband Kent’s death is her fault and is tormented by what might have been. She tries to replay that day repeatedly, wondering what would have changed if she had never asked Kent to meet her for breakfast to tell him she was pregnant, or if she had not forgotten her cell phone, or if she had been on time to meet him. Taryn takes refuge in the concept of chaos, the idea that she had no control over what happened, and neither did anyone else.