Relationships

The relationships between various characters is an important theme in the book as the characters deal with the fears and triumphs of those they love. Layla's relationship with her adoptive parents, Luke and Claire, and her relationship with Will are among the most important examples of this theme. Layla is an independent character because of her situation after the deaths of her parents several years earlier. Layla has to come to the decision to allow herself to be loved and cared for by Claire and Luke and she finds that she has to make that same decision as Will's wife, allowing Will to play the role of husband. Layla is excited about her upcoming marriage to Will but she comes to realize that Claire and Luke are hurting at the thought of allowing her to marry and move out of their home, even though she is...