Little Fires Everywhere

The McCulloughs, another family in Shaker Heights, invite the Richardsons to their adoptive daughter, Mirabelle’s, first birthday party. Mirabelle was left at a firehouse a year ago, accompanied by a note that listed her name as “May Ling.” The McCulloughs started the adoption process right away. While Lexie fawns over the baby, Izzy rudely questions the McCulloughs about their adoption decisions, including changing the baby’s name. Mrs. Richardson scolds Izzy.

Lexie cannot stop talking about the baby in the days following. Overhearing Lexie discussing the details of the adoption one day, Mia is reminded of a story that her coworker at Lucky Palace, Bebe, told her about her missing daughter. After being abandoned by her husband upon their baby’s birth, Bebe had a postpartum psychotic break and left her newborn daughter at a firehouse with a note declaring the baby’s name as May Ling. Malnourished after losing her job at the warehouse and not being able to get a job elsewhere, Bebe was near death when she collapsed on a park bench. The police brought her to a shelter where she slowly regained her strength but could not remember where she had left her child.

When Mia overhears the story of the McCulloughs’ adoption process, she knows that the baby belongs to Bebe.