Now suppose you throw a ball up.

The ball is on its way up.

Earth is pulling on the ball, even while it goes up.

That is why the ball comes back down.

The ball is on its way up. Earth is pulling on it the whole time.

Now consider a car moving along the road.

The car moves along the road. Earth is pulling on it.

The car is not going up or down.

Earth is pulling on the car.

Earth pulls the car down onto the road, so the car stays on the road.

Now consider a leaf falling from a tree.

The leaf falls. Earth is pulling on it.

Earth is pulling on the leaf.

The leaf falls to the ground.