“Here you are.” Their father entered the kitchen, his cheeks flushed from the cold. Still wearing his coat, he laid a manila envelope on the table. “This is for you, Megan. I know you haven’t made up your mind to stay, but today when I went by the district office, I took the liberty of picking up an application for that first-grade teaching job. They’re still needing somebody. Whatever you decide, it wouldn’t hurt to have that application in place, or even to interview for the job.”

“Of course. Thanks, Dad. I’ll fill it out and drop it off.” Megan picked up the envelope, planning to look at the application later. “I don’t have a Texas teaching credential. Would that be a problem?”

“It shouldn’t be. They could issue you a provisional certificate. But you won’t want to waste too much time. The district office will be shutting down for the holidays after next week.”

Slipping out of his coat, he moved around the table to look over Daniel’s shoulder. He scowled when he saw the driver’s handbook. “I can’t believe you’re still wasting time on that,” he said. “Why not just give up?”

Daniel turned to the next page. “If I give up, I’ll never learn to drive.”

“But that’s just for the written test, son. Even if you pass, you’ll still need to learn how to handle a car. I’m not qualified to teach you. You’ll need somebody with special training.”

“I’ll work it out.” Daniel didn’t look up.

“Well, I’ll say this for you. You’ve got determination. Maybe too much for your own good.” He hung up his coat and went into the studio to greet his wife.

Megan rose and walked around the table to squeeze her brother’s shoulder. “Don’t be discouraged,” she said. “We’ll find a way.”

“Thanks. I know.”

Leaving him, Megan went down the hall to her room. She’d planned to make spaghetti again for her family, but it was early yet. She had more than an hour of free time ahead. Maybe she could work on her song. But after strumming a few chords, she realized that her concentration was off. She couldn’t stop thinking about her brother. There had to be some way she could help him.

There had to be state agencies that served people with disabilities. Maybe she could find a source for classes or instructors that helped such people learn to drive.