CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND ELEVEN – GROWING UP

As the playdate continued, Angela's competitive streak became more apparent. She constantly compared Matteo's achievements to the other babies, from the number of words he could say to the complexity of his block-stacking skills. Rebecca did her best to steer the conversation to more neutral topics, but Angela always found a way to bring it back to Matteo's superiority. The tension was momentarily broken when Helena, who had been contentedly playing with a soft book, suddenly let out a loud giggle. All eyes turned to her as she repeated the sound, clearly delighted with herself. "Oh, how precious!" Maria exclaimed. "Is this her first real laugh?" Rebecca nodded, her eyes shining with pride. "Yes, it is! Oh, Luca, did you hear that?" Luca, who had been engrossed in a game of peek-a-boo with Gabriella, looked up with a broad smile. "I did indeed. That's my girl!" Even Angela seemed momentarily disarmed by Helena's infectious laughter. "Well, I must say, she does have a charming gigg