“Step three. First gear. Slowly lift the clutch.”

“Step one,” he said. “Seatbelt.”

One morning, he handed her the keys. “Today’s the day.”

By sunset, she wasn’t perfect—but she was moving. And she had learned something important: Every expert was once a beginner who didn’t give up.

Layla’s heart raced. She sat in the driver’s seat, hands at ten and two, just as she’d seen in videos. Her uncle sat beside her, calm as ever.