Maya was wearing her favorite yellow sweater while playing near the polished wooden staircase handrail.
Victoria stood right beside the small child on the upper landing of the grand staircase.
Richard paused at the bottom of the stairs to watch his daughter play so happily above.
He noticed that Victoria was not holding the child's small hand properly near the open edge.
Her fingers were loose around Maya's soft arm while her eyes scanned the lower marble foyer.
Suddenly, Victoria released her grip completely right next to the wide open railing gap.
Little Maya lost her balance and tumbled over the shiny wooden border toward the hard floor.
A piercing scream echoed off the tall walls as the tiny girl fell through the air.
Richard sprinted forward with explosive speed across the smooth light marble tiles below the stairs.
His brown velvet blazer flew open as he dove across the bright center of the room.
He reached out both arms with total desperation right before Maya hit the solid stone ground.
The heavy weight of his young daughter crashed squarely into his strong protective arms.
He rolled across the floor to absorb the force of the sharp impact against his body.
Maya cried hysterically as she buried her small face deep inside her father's warm shoulder.
Richard lay on the cold marble floor holding his crying child as tight as he could.
His heart hammered against his ribs like a wild drum inside his pounding wooden chest.
Victoria rushed down the wide winding stairs with a look of fake panic on her face.
Her high heels clicked rapidly against the white stone steps until she reached the bottom landing.
She dropped to her knees beside Richard and attempted to reach for the crying young girl.