Disclaimer, you know.

Mr. Teak sighed and nodded.

"I was hoping you wouldn't notice, your mother already knows, we've been preparing for this for a while." He said closing his eyes.

"Preparing?" Alex asked, shocked.

"My mother, your late grandmother, bless her soul, she started losing her eyesight around the time I was your age, she told me it would likely happen to me, but It wouldn't happen to you as it skips every third generation, my late grandmother, your great grandmother, never lost her eyesight, had eyes like a hawk." Mr. Teak said shivering.

"so, you knew, you knew that your eyesight would eventually begin to start going, mom knew, how long did you expect to keep this from Annabella and I?" alex asked starting to sound irritated.

"alex, we planned to tell you two at dinner tonight." He replied sighing.

dorothy stood there, completely still for a moment, she didn't know what to say, or if there was anything to say. However, as alex began to take some deep breaths dorothy was sure he would at least try to stay calm.

"Dad, how long?" Alex asked.

"how long have my eyes been turning white or how long have I realized that it was happening?" Mr. Teak asked.

"both would be nice to know." Alex replied.

Mr. teak took in a deep breath and let out a long sigh.

"my eyesight, for the last week, has been going blurry on and off, the white, a few days, just like it started with my mother." Mr. Teak said.

"have you seen a doctor about it?" Dorothy asked.

"this morning, there isn't anything that can be done." Mr. teak said, his face falling

"did your mother, ever go completely, um blind?" dorothy asked swallowing

Mr. teak looked at her for a moment, then sighed. Getting up he walked passed them and over to a folder that he set on the orders counter at some point opening it and picking up a magnifying glass, he looked over the papers.

"mom was almost completely blind after five years, she said she could only make out blurry, colored shapes, we never found out if she went completely blind, over the years she would keep to the same claim, blurry shapes." He said looking up and closing his eyes

"but surely your father?" but that was as far as dorothy got.

"my father tried to get information out of her for years, did everything in his power to make sure she had all the necessary help, that someone, anyone would be there for her if it could not be him, he knew there was nothing that could be done, her eye sight couldn't be saved, one day, she called upon me while father was at the shop, Barbara was staying with her for the day to help out, frank had been helping me with my own project when she called, I had him tag along in case I needed the emotional support." He said opening his eyes for a moment and closing them again.

"wait, frank? you mean?" alex started to ask before being cut off by his father.

"Dorothy's father, yes, when we got into the house and into the living room, we found my mother, knitting a scarf, Barbara was holding her yarn, however when we entered the room, her white eyes immediately fixed on frank and I, beckoned us over, presented your father with one she had knitted a month earlier, and then beckoned me closer, she then asked us to keep a promise to her if she either went completely blind or died before father, that we would help him, to keep going, even made frank promise." Mr. Teak said taking in a deep breath

"but after your mother passed away your father's health began to deteriorate." Dorothy said.

"yes, but it was still years before he died, in that that time he never smiled, we tried, me, frank, henry, Barbara, we tried to carry out my mother's wishes, but he made it difficult, became stricter, spent most of his time on orders, he was upset, but he never let it show, at least not when anyone was around." Mr. Teak said.

"and sometime after his health started fading, he had that painting we have downstairs made?" alex asked.

"about three months before he died, never understood the frame he made for it, but he had it hand delivered here to the shop, it's been down in the basement ever since, with a few other things of his." Mr. Teak said pulling up his chair and sitting down.

Alex sighed and walked over to his father.

"you never told me this story." Alex said.

"I wanted you to be ready, and before dorothy came along, I wasn't sure you'd ever be ready." Mr. Teak said.

"did his eyesight ever start going?" dorothy asked curiously

"if he did, he either didn't care, or didn't let it show." Mr. teak replied.

"I never knew my grandparents, you said your father died shortly before I was born." Alex said.

"yes, a few months before you were born, I was building a crib, preparing for your birth, frank was once again with me, as dorothy was also on the way at the time." Mr. Teak said.

"how did you find out?" alex asked.

He opened his mouth about to say something but they heard the door open behind them. Turning around they saw officer grey walking in with his deputy, carrying parts to a table.

"pardon the intrusion, but the table finally collapsed on us, we were wondering if you could fix it when you find the time." Officer grey said.

Alex nodded and pointed over to his personal workbench. The sheriff and his deputy walked over to bench and set the larger pieces down. He then sent his deputy back outside. Walking over to the three of them, his attention was drawn to dorothy.

"before you say it, yes, I know I'm pink, no it's only temporary." Dorothy said.

"ah, okay." He said turning his attention to Mr. teak.

"you know, you used to knock." Mr. teak said sighing.

"yes, sorry 'bout that, so, it's finally happening to you?" Officer grey asked referring Mr. Teak's whitening eyes

"yes, actually I was just telling them about the day my father died." Mr. Teak said.

"ah, yes, I remember that day, I don't think I had ever seen you so distressed, and I definitely haven't since then." Officer grey said.

"Dorothy's father and I were making some cribs because both our wives were pregnant at the time, Barbara had dropped in to say she was going to check on him, said she'd called that afternoon to let us know how he was doing." Mr. Teak said.

"instead, I got the call, it was my first year on the job, he had died peacefully in his sleep, it was hard to deliver that news to you, I stood outside that door for ten minutes before finally knocking on the door." Officer grey said sighing.

"both frank and I were both shocked by your arrival." Mr. Teak said.

"and when I delivered the news, you completely broke down." Officer grey said.

"had to have frank drive me to the morgue, and a week later he was buried next to my mother." Mr. teak said.

"I remember that day, and the weeks that followed, but that's a story for another day." Officer grey said.

"indeed, well, if you don't mind, we should probably get back to work, we'll call when the table is done." Mr. Teak said

Officer Grey nodded and bid farewell before his deputy came in and informed him about a disturbance at the park. Once he was gone, alex walked over to the door and locked it.

"I just wish you hadn't tried to hide it." alex said.

"Mr. Teak, I agree with alex, I mean, what would my parents have said if they found out you were keeping this from them for over a week?" Dorothy asked.

"they wouldn't have approved either, actually, I'm pretty sure they'd have been utterly disgusted." Mr. Teak said.

"Dorothy, do you think there's something we can do about it?" alex asked.

Dorothy arched her eyebrow and turned to look at him.

"what?" She asked.

"I mean, do you think there's a magical remedy?" Alex asked.

"alex, I wouldn't put my money on it, nor would I try, you know how risky magic can be." Dorothy said.

"tomorrow then, we're going back to Oz, we can ask Glinda." Alex said.