HE BROUGHT HIS MISTRESS HOME—THEN LEFT HIS PREGNANT WIFE ON THE STAIRS FOR ELEVEN MINUTES

Paige stepped inside before I invited her. She held the envelope like a ticket she couldn't wait to redeem.

"I'm here about the storage unit," she said. "Alex said you still have some things he needs."

"Then Alex can talk to me."

He came in behind her, wet from the rain. "Let's not make a scene."

"You brought her to my house at nine at night."

"It's my house too."

Paige looked from one of us to the other and slid the envelope back into her purse.

Alex said he needed the key to the unit where our furniture, holiday decorations, and my wedding dress were stored. He was moving things to his new apartment. I refused. I had paid for half of that unit and hadn't inventoried it.

"Just give me the key," he said.

I went upstairs to get the lease agreement. He followed. On the landing, he reached for the folder in my hand.

"That's private."

"They're my records too."

We were both shouting. I remember that clearly because the house went painfully quiet afterward.

I tried to pull the papers away. Alex caught my wrist. I twisted, trying to get free, and he shoved my arm away harder than he needed to.

My heel found the empty air above the first stair.

There wasn't a dramatic scream. I made a short, stupid sound—"oh"—and hit the railing with my shoulder before the back of my head struck wood. The folder opened. White pages drifted down after me.

At the bottom, I could see one ceiling light and the black lines between the floor tiles. I tried to breathe. Something warm crawled through my hair.

"Erin?" Alex's voice came from far away.

I couldn't answer. I was trying to move my left hand and couldn't decide whether it was moving.

Paige appeared behind him. "What happened?"

"She fell."

"Call somebody," Paige said.

Alex stood halfway down the stairs. He looked as frightened as I'd ever seen him. Then Paige said, "If the police come, they're going to think you pushed her."

"I didn't—"

"Alex. Think."

I heard his shoes on the floor beside me. He touched my shoulder. I flinched.

"Erin, can you hear me?"

I tried to tell him about the baby. My tongue wouldn't make the sentence.

He looked toward the front door, where Paige was speaking rapidly. I heard the words lawyer and incident. Alex took out his phone, then put it away.

The front door opened. Cold air reached my bare feet.

I don't remember them leaving. I remember the refrigerator motor starting and a piece of pink confetti falling out of the papers on the step above me.

The person who finally called 911 was our neighbor, Mr. Salazar. He'd come to return my misdelivered mail and found the front door half open.

Later, the emergency dispatcher would give me the time of his call.