CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND NINETEEN – YEAR ONE

"We're deciding on a theme for Helena's birthday," she explained. "Want to weigh in?" Luca looked from the mountain of cake samples to the scattered party planning materials, then to Helena, who was now wearing more banana than she had eaten. "I think I'll leave this in your capable hands," he said, backing slowly out of the room. "Oh no you don't," Rebecca laughed, grabbing his arm and pulling him into a chair. "This is your daughter's first birthday. You're part of this whether you like it or not." The next few hours were a whirlwind of ideas, debates, and cake tasting. Luca, to his credit, tried his best to contribute, though his suggestions tended to lean towards the practical rather than the fun. "We should have a secure perimeter," he mused at one point, earning bemused looks from Nancy and Sarah. "It's a first birthday party, honey, not a summit meeting," Rebecca gently reminded him. As the day wore on, the plans began to take shape. They settled on a "Fairytale Forest" th