She came in through the front door, brushing snow off her coat. The aromas of slow-cooker pot roast and fresh oatmeal cookies welcomed her home. Her father was in the kitchen, cooking. He greeted her with a smile. “Since your mother’s just finishing her pictures, I thought I’d play chef,” he said. “Sorry we didn’t have time to talk when you popped in an hour ago. How was your trip to Nashville?”

Megan gave him a hug. He hugged her back, a bit awkwardly. Ed had never been an affectionate man, but he always put his family’s needs ahead of his own. Megan knew he loved them.

“It was a productive trip,” she said. “The performance went fine, no stumbles. While I was there, I broke up with Derek once and for all, and quit my teaching job.”

“My goodness.” He lifted a sheet of cookies from the oven and set them out to cool. “It sounds like you’re burning your bridges there. Any plans? What about Conner? Your mother said you went to find him.”

“It seems I’m on a roll,” Megan said. “I broke up with Conner today, too.” She smiled as she said it, hiding the pain of a broken heart.

“Oh? Too bad. I never said so, but I rather liked him. More than Derek, if you want to know the truth. So, what’s next?”

Megan picked up a warm cookie and let a bite melt on her tongue. “I don’t know. Right now, I have my feet firmly planted in thin air.”

“Well, let me know if you need any help. I hope at least you’ll follow up on that teaching-job application I gave you.”

“I will. I promise. Right now, I’m keeping all my options open.” Excusing herself, Megan went to her room and sat down at her computer to check her e-mail.

To her surprise, there was a reply to her query from the Department of Public Education.

Dear Miss Carson:

Thank you for asking about drivers’ education for people with Down syndrome. Unfortunately, we have no public programs that meet this need. For that, we usually refer people to private agencies. I notice that you live near Cottonwood Springs. A driving school there employs a teacher who specializes in students with disabilities, including Down syndrome. If you’d like to learn more, here’s their contact information.

Megan read the message again, including the address and phone number provided. She’d hoped for an easier solution, but at least she had a lead.

She went online and found the driving school’s website. They looked legitimate, and the Public Education Department had recommended them. Scrolling down, she saw that they had evening classes to cover the material in the Texas Driver Handbook and offered assistance, if needed, in taking the written test. Once the test was passed, the classes would be followed by several days of on-the-road instruction.