Little Fires Everywhere

Mrs. Richardson tries to convince her friend Elizabeth to give her confidential information from the abortion clinic’s database. She wants to confirm if Bebe made a visit to the clinic recently. Elizabeth refuses, as it is against the law, despite Mrs. Richardson’s insistence. When Elizabeth leaves the office momentarily, Mrs. Richardson uses the opportunity to search the client database on Elizabeth’s computer and discovers Pearl’s name. When she returns home, she confronts Moody about Pearl’s pregnancy, believing that Moody impregnated Pearl. Bitter from Pearl’s betrayal, Moody tells his mother that Trip is the father of Pearl’s baby, which shocks Mrs. Richardson. Izzy overhears the conversation and is equally shocked by the news.

Mrs. Richardson confronts Mia about her past, accusing her of being a hypocrite for stealing the Ryans’ baby and aiding in the removal of another in the Mirabelle/May Ling custody case. Mia tells Mrs. Richardson that her unfair resentment toward her has to do with the older woman’s lack of satisfaction over her life choices. Mrs. Richardson ends Mia’s lease early and tells her to vacate the place by the next day.

The McCulloughs win the custody case, receiving full parental rights over Mirabelle/May Ling. Bebe is devastated.

Mia pulls Pearl out of her class in the middle of the school day to tell her that they have to leave town again. Pearl refuses, as she is devastated that they have to leave just as she is beginning to make friends and build a life in Shaker Heights. When Pearl demands to know the truth about why they have to leave, Mia reveals Pearl’s birth story. She asks Pearl if she wants to meet the Ryans and her grandparents. Pearl responds that she would like to “‘[s]omeday’” (309).

Izzy arrives at Mia’s place to warn Pearl that her mother knows about her name in the abortion clinic database. Mia tells Izzy that Pearl is not there and sends her away, which confuses Izzy. When she returns home, she confronts Moody for telling their mother about Pearl and Trip. When Moody insists that Pearl deserves to be treated this way, Izzy smashes a soda can against the side of his head in anger. She also confronts Lexie as well, demanding to know if she was the one who had the abortion and used Pearl’s name in her place. Lexie admits to this, which further incites Izzy’s rage over her sister’s selfishness. Outraged at her family’s unjust treatment toward Mia and Pearl, Izzy decides to set fire to her family house by pouring gasoline in each of her siblings’ beds and lighting them on fire with matches.

After the custody trial declares the McCulloughs the rightful parents of Mirabelle, the exhausted couple returns home to rest. While the McCulloughs sleep, Bebe enters their home and steals back her child. She buys a one-way ticket to China and cannot be found by authorities. Devasted by this loss, the McCulloughs grieve the loss of Mirabelle. In the next few years, they decide to adopt a baby from China to rectify this loss.

After the firefighters successfully put out the fire at the house, the Richardsons decide to stay at the Winslow house while their damaged house is being renovated. When they enter, they see a large envelope left on the counter by Mia. In the envelope are presents for every member of the family. For Lexie, there is a stone held by a paper net made from the abortion clinic discharge slip. To construct Trip’s gift, Mia used his discarded shoulder pad as a pot to grow several shoots that had broken through as cracks on the surface. For Moody, Mia took the discarded pages of the notebook–something he had once gifted Pearl and tore apart upon finding out about her and Trip–and made them into paper cranes. Mia used one of Mr. Richardson’s collar stays to create a magnetized image in a photograph. She also took a newsprint of one of Mrs. Richardson’s articles to create the structure of an open cage for her with a golden feather inside. There is a gift for Izzy, too, a black leather rose rising out of concrete. The rose is made from Izzy’s combat boots, which Mrs. Richardson threw away as punishment for her suspension. Izzy removed this gift from the envelope before leaving town.

Mr. and Mrs. Richardson file a missing person report when Izzy does not return home for several days. Izzy left home after setting fire to her family house, intending to find Mia and join her. She found the contact information for George and Regina Wright as well as the law firm representing the Ryans, intending to start there in her search. When Mrs. Richardson realizes that Izzy is gone, she is devastated, as her worst fears about losing her child have been actualized.