One of Stella’s primary character traits is her self-sufficiency—something she learned from watching her single mother take everything on by herself while raising her. Once an adult, Stella quickly became strong and independent, saving up enough to buy the Christmas tree farm and open up her business on her own. However, more often than not in the novel, Stella’s self-sufficiency often leads to her downfall, as she is too afraid to rely on anyone else for help. Ultimately, Stella learns the importance of leaning on others and sharing one’s burdens instead of attempting to accomplish everything alone.

When the farm falls into financial ruin, Stella keeps this from her business partners and personally takes on the financial burden by not accepting pay when money comes up short. When Beckett and Layla discover this, they are angry, less because she kept the secret and more because of how Stella’s refusal of a paycheck has diminished her well-being despite all her work to help the farm. Stella’s stubborn independence often causes problems within her relationships, particularly because her friends want to help her with her problems. After he finds out about the farm’s finances and how Stella has been coping with it, Luka tells her that “[l]eaning on other people doesn’t make [her] achievements any less [hers]” (203), highlighting Stella’s fears about her work on the farm being for nothing.