But what hurt even more than the fall was realizing her parents cared more about protecting her sister than saving her unborn baby.
Pain exploded through Emma’s back so suddenly she didn’t even understand what had happened.
One moment she stood near the staircase in her parents’ Ohio home, one hand resting on the banister and the other over her pregnant belly.
The next, the world tilted violently.
She remembered the carpet first.
Beige with tiny brown flecks — the same ugly carpet her mother chose years ago because it “hid dirt well.”
Then came the terror.
Emma’s arms instantly wrapped around her stomach.
Protect the baby.
That was her only thought as her body crashed down the stairs.
Her knees slammed into wood.
Pain shot through her spine.
Her ankle twisted painfully beneath her.
Her shoulder struck the wall.
Her head hit hard enough to blur her vision.
Still, she protected her belly with both arms.