Content Warning: This mentions gambling addiction, parental neglect and verbal abuse, and alcohol abuse.

Through Russ and Aurora’s relationship, Wildfire explores the role that family dynamics play in romantic and platonic relationships. Both Russ and Aurora face family struggles, particularly struggles brought on by a parental figure, which impact the way they establish and continue relationships with others.

For Russ, his strained family relationships make him feel unimportant and isolated, feelings that are exacerbated by his efforts to conceal his father’s addiction through privacy and secrecy. Russ admits to joining “a fraternity at the beginning of school because [he] wanted a family that wouldn’t let [him] down like [his] real one does” (4). The failure of his fraternity brothers to support him only heightens the insecurities his family brings out—feelings of inadequacy and fears that he’ll never be anyone’s first choice. Unlike his fraternity brothers, Russ’s hockey teammates offer him unconditional support. However, due to the embarrassment of his father’s gambling addiction, Russ cannot be fully transparent with his hockey teammates and friends; “not even Coach Faulkner or Nate know the full extent of [his] home life” (4), and Henry only knows because he caught Russ at a vulnerable time. Russ’s closest confidante in the novel is JJ, but even JJ jokes “that [Russ] give[s] hardly anything away” (6).