Little Fires Everywhere

Left with few options, Mia decided to have Joseph and Madeline’s baby without consulting anyone. She was artificially inseminated and then became pregnant shortly after. She continued to work two of her jobs and deferred school for a year, hoping that she could have the child in a year and earn enough to return to school more financially secure.

During her pregnancy, her brother, Warren, died in a car crash. Mia returned home pregnant, a fact previously unbeknownst to her parents. George and Regina were furious with her for agreeing to carry another couple’s child, accusing her of “sell[ing] your own child” (227). They refused to let her attend Warren’s funeral. While the funeral took place, Mia took Warren’s car and drove to San Francisco, where she lived until she gave birth to Pearl.

After Pearl was born, Mia received news that Pauline was sick with cancer. Mia flew to New York to see Pauline one last time and allowed her to photograph her with Pearl. Pauline made sure that Mia received those prints after she passed, giving her the contact information for Anita Rees, who would sell those photographs and any other that she produced herself. Mia eventually sold one of her own photographs through Anita and built an ongoing relationship for the next years.

During Mrs. Richardson’s visit with the Wrights, she acquires information for the Ryans’ law firm, which has been trying to locate Mia for years. Mrs. Richardson has a journalist friend verify that a Mia Wright had been attending appointments at a New York City hospital at the Ryans’ request. This information confirms the Ryans’ story according to what the Wrights have relayed to her.

Meanwhile, Pearl takes Lexie to the abortion clinic. Lexie puts down Pearl’s name instead of her own, which annoys Pearl, but she allows it, given the circumstances. After Lexie’s abortion is complete, Pearl drives Lexie to her place to recover. However, Lexie is so weak that she collapses while walking to the house. Mia intervenes and helps Lexie get some rest, even calling the school to pose as her mother to report that she is sick. Izzy notices Lexie when she arrives and starts to question her presence, but Mia dismisses her for the day to avoid drawing attention to Lexie’s condition.

The custody trial begins. While the McCulloughs expected things to easily fall in their favor, Ed Lim, Bebe’s lawyer, pursues a rigorous line of questioning around race that causes them to stumble. He asks the McCulloughs about their plans for helping Mirabelle understand her culture, which they struggle with answering. In retaliation for Ed Lim’s questions around race, Mr. Richardson paints him as an “angry Asian man” (267) for his aggressive interrogation of the McCulloughs. This sways public favor toward the McCulloughs. Meanwhile, Mrs. Richardson’s fury against Mia escalates with the tensions of the trial.