Layla

The swimming pool at the bed-and-breakfast is the setting for several important scenes in the novel and symbolizes transformation. First, Layla and Leeds go in the pool with their clothes on the night they meet at Aspen’s wedding. Their first kiss takes place in the pool, and they feel an intense connection.

Later, when Leeds and Layla return to the house, Layla spends a lot of her time at the swimming pool. She is not thrilled about being in the isolated house, but she does feel a sense of calm and peace when she is in or near the pool. When Aspen and Chad visit, Layla tells them that the pool is her favorite part of the house; whether it is Sable or Willow inside her body, they both seem to feel more at ease around the water.

Finally, the pool plays a pivotal role in Layla’s plan to kill herself so her spirit can reenter her body. She asks Leeds to help her drown in the pool. This scene is one of several that recalls the night Leeds and Layla met. There is irony in the fact that Leeds must help Layla die in the pool so they can be reunited in the way they were in the beginning.