With a quiet gasp, Katya shifted toward him as he fell, trying to catch him. She wasn't incredibly strong, but she spent a lot of her time lifting heavy boxes. But it was awkward. Her arm was wrapped with his, and they were side by side. She tried to guide him down as gently as possible, to control his descent, but she didn't know how well she succeeded. "Are you alright?" she asked.
Pulling away, she let Luther stand on his own, not wanting to hurt his pride. "These stairs," she said, "they are a little tricky sometimes."