## Your Assignment

I want you to implement **Step 1** of the implementation plan I've shared above. This is part of a larger feature that we're building incrementally, with each step building on the previous one.

## How to Approach This Task

1. **Carefully read the step** to understand exactly what needs to be implemented
2. **Pay attention to the files** that need to be modified - don't change anything else
3. **Follow the existing patterns** in the codebase rather than introducing new ones
4. **Consider edge cases** and make sure your implementation handles them
5. **Include clear code comments** following the projects conventions
6. **Add appropriate docstrings** following the project's style
7. **Think about testing** even though we'll handle that separately

## What I Need From You

1. The actual code implementation for the step in question.
2. A brief explanation of your implementation decisions
3. Any questions or concerns you have about the implementation
4. Anything you're unsure about that you'd like my guidance on

Remember, we're implementing this feature incrementally, so focus only on the step in qustion for now. Don't worry about future steps - we'll get to those later.
