The book repeatedly examines the drawbacks yet necessity of secrets, most pointedly around keeping Poppy’s past a secret from the Walsh-Adamses’ Seattle community. On the one hand, this secret allows Poppy to live the life she has always dreamed of, unburdened by public scrutiny or physical violence. On the other, she and her family live in fear of someone finding out. This secret takes a psychological toll on Poppy’s brothers, who admit after the secret is out that every single one of them told someone at some point. It also accentuates the ideological divide between Rosie and Penn and catalyzes their brief separation.

In contrast, Poppy’s pink bikini, bought for her by her grandmother, represents Poppy’s proud embrace of her gender identity. When Poppy wears the bikini to the public pool, her family must contend with the response this identity elicits for the first time. This public outing also exposes the biases of children and parents in the Walsh-Adams family’s greater Madison community and contributes to their keeping Poppy’s story a secret in Seattle. However, the bikini ultimately symbolizes Poppy’s sense of autonomy around her identity, putting her on the path to embracing her true self.