It hurtled through the air, a tiny bundle against the vast brick wall. My brain didn’t even think. My body just reacted. I dropped my briefcase, the latch bursting open and sending a cascade of papers across the sidewalk. I held my arms out, not just to catch, but to absorb, positioning myself to cradle the child as close to my chest as possible.

The baby landed directly in my arms with a sickening thud. I curled my body around it, collapsing to my knees from the force of the impact, doing everything in my power to ensure it suffered as little damage as possible.