Little Fires Everywhere

I wanted tonight to be special.

What's wrong? What happened?

- My brother? - He fuckin' likes you.

I don't know what you're trying to do, but it's really fucked up.

The idea that somebody could just come into your life

and take your children away?

Elena, you have four healthy children

that came to you easily that no one can ever take away, okay?

So just don't tell me you know how I feel.

I am a good mother.

- Oh really? - Because in my book,

a good mother puts her daughter's needs before her own.

You didn't make good choices.

You had good choices!

This is not working out.

I think this is gonna be your last day.

- You think. - I thought we were friends.

White women always want to be friends with their maid.

You are not to go back there again.

- Wait, no, Mom... - I mean it, Pearl.

- No, you can't just do that. - I just did!

Come here.

Get in the car!

Babe. Babe!

Elena!

Let's get out of here.

Good thing we're leaving. We're on our last roll.

What if we don't?

- What? - Leave.

Who says we have to?

- My mother. - She'd kill me.

She can't kill you if she can't find you.

Our flight's at 4:00.

- Don't you want an adventure? - We've been in Paris for four months.

We just had a whole semester of one.

I'm not ready to go back.

To Denison. To Ohio.

To any of it.

Jamie, we have a whole plan.

We're graduating in May, moving back to Shaker,

and taking my parent's rental.

My mom's basically gotten us starter jobs at The Shaker Times.

What happened to The New York Times?

What is even happening right now?

If I don't do this now, then I never will.

And I don't want to live with some "what if" hanging over me.

But how do we stay together if you're here?

I just got off the phone with Linda.

I mean, I could barely make out a word she was saying.

She was practically hyperventilating, Bill.

Art section.

- Wait, where are your brother and sister? - They're gonna be late.

- They already left. - Where are our lunches?

You didn't even tell me that woman got visitation rights, Bill.

Yeah, I spent 45 minutes on the phone with Mark last night

trying to talk him down,

but the truth is, there's not really much we can do right now.

Ed Lan is totally within his rights to ask for a temporary order.

Well, is he within his rights to put things like this in the paper?

"Local Mother Fights for Daughter: 'They Can't Separate Us.'"

I mean, what is that spin?

She separated herself from her baby.

He's, he's gonna have this whole thing play out in the press.

- Is that what's happening? - Well, we're gonna have this whole thing play out in the press.

We're already getting calls from news outlets.

Wait, we?

You're representing the McCulloughs?

- Yes, of course he is. - Of course I am. They're our best friends.

You do realize they're stealing that baby, right?

- Izzy. - They saved that baby's life.

- Why are you helping them? - You two, get to school.

What I don't understand is how she can afford Ed Lan.

I mean, he's not doing this pro bono, is he?

No, of course he's not.

Um... maybe from this.

What?

- This looks just like Mia. - Don't be ridiculous.

It's her, right?

- Why would she be in The New York Times? - She's a major artist, Mom.

- You don't even know. - Neither do you.

I know she shipped something to New York.

- I saw it in her studio. - When were you in her studio?

- I've been there every day. - I'm her apprentice.

- Did you know this? - Did you know she's been going over there?

No, I did not.

I got to get to the office, but I'll do some digging while I'm there.

- You're not to go over there again. - Do you understand me?

I am being serious, Isabelle.

If you want to live in this house, you have to live by my rules.

You're not to go over there again.

You seem very angry.

Is it because she might be helping Bebe?

Or is it that she's in The New York Times and you'll never be?

What does it say?

I'm sorry.

It's gonna be okay.

Okay?

- Hey. - Hey.

You're supposed to be in school.

Yeah, but how cool is this?

That's you, right?

I feel like I should get it signed now that you're famous.

That's not me.

- Really? - Yeah.

Izzy, what would I be doing in The New York Times naked?

I... just thought I saw that Sotheby's package

being sent out express, and you have that giant Pauline Hawthorne book.

Did you look through my things?

No.

I mean, I looked around a little, but it was...

- That's an invasion of my privacy. - I'm sorry.

No, you need to go.

You promised no press.

There wasn't, but you can't stop someone from wanting to promote an acquisition.

You know that.

- I'm on the phone. - I know you're scared, Mi.

But your pregnancy was not a secret.

No one is coming after you because of this.

It's been years.

You're safe, Pearl's safe.

Hold on.

- What? - I need the phone.

Anita, let me call you back.

Yeah, okay.

- What's going on? - I need to call Lexie.

You know, since I'm not allowed to set foot in her house.

It's kind of a double standard, you know.

I mean, Izzy gets to come here and hang out all day

but I can't go to the Richardson's house?

Izzy did not sneak out in the middle of the night

and she did not disobey my explicit instructions.

You can't keep me from having friends.

- Lexie is not your friend. - You don't even know her.

- I know that she will disappoint you. - So what?

You're just gonna ban me from that house forever?

You're not making much of a statement when we're living under their roof.

Keep up the backtalk, and we won't be.

My God, Lexie Don't tell me you're bulimic now.

Lexie!

Am I gonna need a hazmat suit?

Next time, use the boy's bathroom. You fucking look like one.

Fuck off, jock mattress.

I mean, the Arch Deluxe was fine, but you got to admit, it was no McRib.

How do they even, like...

What?

Are, are you mad?

No.

Fuck, you're mad.

You only ever want to go to McDonald's when you want to talk.

- I'm not mad. - I'm just...

I'm just upset.

I mean, this whole Mirabelle thing. It's so upsetting.

I mean, aren't you upset about it?

I mean... yeah, it sucks.

I mean, Linda and Mark practically raised her since she was born.

And what, now they might have to give her back

to some woman who gave her up in the first place?

- Well, she's not just some woman. - I mean, she is her mom.

And if the government had better systems in place...

No real mother would abandon her baby.

You know, like, if we got pregnant,

- we would never do something like that. - Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Don't even say that out loud.

Okay, you don't have to make it sound like it's the worst thing ever.

- I mean, we want kids down the road. - Yeah, way down.

My parents would kill me.

I'd, I'd be a literal cliche.

You know what, speaking of which, you should probably get on the pill.

You know, just to be safe.

- Yeah, you're right. - I should get on that.

Yeah.

I mean, she already missed her first nap.

If she misses her second one, she's gonna destroy bedtime.

- Five more minutes. - If she's not here, we can leave.

I mean, maybe I should call The Plain Dealer and tell them that...

You know.

She abandoned her baby again. Imagine that headline.

Come on, Bubba, it's so cold.

May Ling.

Linda, you have to do this.

There's no choice. The judge ordered.

May Ling.

- It's only one hour. - Okay, come on.

Come on, come on, baby. Come on, yes. There you go, there you go.

Come on.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Hi, this is Elena Richardson. I'm a reporter with The Shaker Times.

I have a few questions.

I'm calling about a recent sale of Hawthorne's "Duo."

Yes, "Duo." D-U-O.

Yes, a Richard Prince show. Did-did Polly mention...

I see that you were a subject of Ms. Hawthorne's.

Hello, this is Elena Richardson...

if you could get back to me, I would really appreciate it.

A photograph entitled "Duo."

Hello, my name is Elena Richardson...

Yes, I'm calling about the Pauline Hawthorne photo

that recently sold to the Varick Hotel in New York.

I was wondering if...