Dorothy looked back at her colorful gang of friends with sadness. It was time to leave them now and return home. Although she was thrilled to finally be heading home, she couldn’t deny the fact that she would be missing Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion terribly, especially Scarecrow. After all, he was the first friend she made here in this strange world. It looked a lot like New York but…altered. “Thank you” she called out to them tenderly. “Thank you for being my friends.”

Her three friends remained quiet as they stood behind and witnessed her departure. Lion was doing a great job of holding back his waterworks as he plastered a phony smile on his face. His new found courage allowed him to be strong and not show weakness. Tin Man watched on with tenderness. He really was happy for Dorothy and decided to not surrender to the feeling of lost that was threatening to surround him, but instead he dwelt on the idea of Dorothy being safe and happy back at home with her Uncle Henry and Aunt Em. He understood why she wanted so desperately to return to them. As for Scarecrow, there was no way he could hide the tears that were shamelessly streaming down his face.

Dorothy could practically feel how bad he didn’t want her to leave but he remained quiet. Scarecrow knew that his begging wouldn’t make this outcome any different. He knew her well. If Dorothy set her mind and heart on a task, then you better believe she was going to see it through until the end. However, her heart ached to see pain sweeping across her friend’s face like that. She wanted to reach out to him…but her time here had expired. It was time for her to go home now. She had no doubts that he would be fine without her, all of them would be. In the end, they all got what they were searching for plus a bonus. They also gained a powerful friendship and even though she realized she would never see them again, Dorothy knew that the bond she had with them would always and forever be unbreakable. She reluctantly turned her back from them—but not without taking one final glance at the man standing behind her crew whose real name was Herman Smith. The four of them had just discovered him to be posing as the great and powerful wiz. Apparently, there was no such thing here in Oz—and stepped closer to the beautiful good witch named Glinda floating in front of her. “I’m ready now.”

“Think of home” Her beautiful voice crooned. Her precious babies watched on and posed as precious stars in the background.

Dorothy closed her eyes. This was it. All she had to do was think of home and click her heels three times before she and Toto would be back in their warm apartment with her aunt and uncle. Quietly, she made a vow to herself that when she made it home she would no longer be the same quiet, timid, and insecure Dorothy that she’d always been. No way. Now, she would live life to the fullest and more than anything…she would love to the fullest, because that was what this world had taught her to do. “Home” she whispered. Here she comes.

***
(Seven years later)

Dorothy laughed as she happily chased her giggling five year old around the living room, who was having the time of her life chasing Toto in circles around the couch. Toto barked in delight but Dorothy wanted to catch her daughter soon before her dog got too tired. It wasn’t like he was still in his prime and had the same energy on him as he did seven years ago. Before she could grab the little girl, Dorothy’s husband, Albert, appeared and swooped the child affectionately in his arms.

The little girl shrieked in delight. “Put me down, daddy!” she laughed as she tried to get her feet back down on the ground. The young girl resembled her mother in skin tone and vivid personality. She even inherited her mother’s curly hair. The only difference was that her daughter’s curls were naturally bigger and almost touched her shoulders. As for her eyes, they were hazel, like her father’s, who was a handsome tall medium built man with a goatee and jet black hair.

“No way, young lady. I’m afraid it’s time for you to hit the sack” he told her in a strong deep voice.

“Nooooo, daddy” she whined. “I’m not sleepy. I want to play with Toto some more.”

Albert frowned. “Where do you get all this energy from?”

Dorothy took the child in her arms with a grin. “Her energy comes from all the excitement and passion she has” she stated proudly.

Albert was puzzled. “Excitement and passion for what?”

“For living life. Life is an adventure. Ain’t that right, Beatrice?” She rubbed the tip of her nose against her daughter’s cute buttoned shaped one. “You love life, don’t you, baby? I love it too.” Dorothy met her husband’s gaze. The same excitement and passion that was dancing around frantically in their daughter’s eyes was now gently floating in hers. That was where Beatrice had gotten her spark from.

Her husband smiled fondly at his family. “Like mother, like daughter.”

The two of them were brought back to reality when they heard their five-year old say, “I don’t want to go to bed, mommy” she was pouting and any minute now she would be nothing but tears and snot as she rebelled with all her might against her parents’ order.

“Time for us to bring out a firm hand” Albert mumbled in Dorothy’s ear.

“I have a better idea.” She moved a curly strand of Beatrice’s hair away from her eyes as she said, “I’ll tell you a story if you behave and go to bed right after it.”

“Yes,” Albert added. “Be the good little girl that we know is buried deep down in there somewhere.” He gently poked his girl in the chest and she giggled some more.

“Story!” she cheered loudly.

“What kind of story would you like tonight?” Dorothy mentally had her fingers crossed as she prayed that her daughter would give her the answer she was searching for.

“An Oz story, mommy! I want an Oz story!”

Dorothy sighed blissfully. That was the right answer. “I’m afraid I got you hooked on those.” It came out as a gentle complaint but she was thrilled by Beatrice’s choice. Retelling her adventures in Oz was the only time Dorothy was ever able to properly revisit those memories and think back on those amazing males she left behind. Man, she really did wish she could see them again. Tin Man, Lion,…Scarecrow…she prayed that they were happy and living a good life.

“Tell me an Oz story, mommy! Tell me, please!”

Dorothy snapped out of her daydream as Beatrice tugged on her necklace to get her attention. She gently unraveled her daughter’s hand from around her three year anniversary gift from Albert. “Okay, but first we have to give daddy a kiss goodnight.”

Beatrice eagerly leaned towards her father who happily kissed her forehead before letting her give him a wet kiss on his cheek. She laughed. “I gave you a wet kiss, daddy!”

He spoke in a warning tone. “Wet kisses are okay but no wet beds, understand?”

She nodded. “No, wet beds.”

“That’s my girl.”

Beatrice impatiently peered at her mother again. “Oz story, mommy” she whined.

“Okay, baby, but if you want an Oz story, there’s one more thing we have to do. We have to…” Dorothy paused briefly for dramatic effect before she began singing very softly, “Ease on down, ease on down the road.” She gently rocked her daughter to the beat of the song that was in her head.

Beatrice’s grin took up her entire face and it filled Dorothy’s heart with an abundance of elation. Beatrice sung happily “Ease on down, ease on down the road.” She laughed excitedly.

Dorothy spun her around before quickly giving Albert a peck on the lips—who playfully shook his head at his wife and child—and dancing past him. She and her daughter sung together the line, “Don’t ya carry nothin’ that might be a load. Come on and ease on down, ease on down the road.”

Beatrice shouted over her mother’s should as they headed for her room. “Come on, Toto. We’re going to hear an Oz story.”

Toto eagerly jogged after them.

When they reached her room, Beatrice said, “I want to hear about Scarecrow.”

Dorothy laid her down and smoothed out her night gown before bringing the covers over her. “Only Scarecrow?” she asked curiously.

Beatrice busied herself with tucking Toto under the covers by her side the moment he jumped on her bed. “I like the Scarecrow.”

“What about Tin Man and Lion?”

“Scarecrow is my favorite.”

If Dorothy was honest with herself, she would admit that she actually missed Scarecrow the most. Perhaps, she unconsciously mentioned him the most in her stories and that could be why Beatrice had grown so fond of him. She rubbed her daughter’s cheek before gently stroking Toto’s fur, who was comfortably pressed against his youngest owner’s body. “Very well, then.” She kneeled beside her daughter’s bed to be close to her and Toto.

Beatrice’s eyes were already getting heavy but she knew her little girl would fight it until she heard everything wanted to hear.

“Scarecrow was the first friend I made in Oz. When I first met him, he was stuck on a pole and had been there since the day he was first created. So he never learned how to walk.”

“He couldn’t walk?” Beatrice’s voice was curious but Dorothy could hear the sleepiness as well. It shouldn’t be much longer until she was under.

Dorothy shook her head.

“Why didn’t someone teach him?”

“He didn’t have anyone” Dorothy spoke sadly. Well, he eventually gained her but then…she left him to come back here. So did that mean he was lonely again? She shook that thought away when she remembered that he still had Tin Man and Lion with him. A pestering voice within her asked if that would be enough for him. “All he had were these four mean crows who made fun of him as they ate up all the corn in his garden. They would call him names, throw food at him, and bully him all day long. They even made him sing sad songs that would crush his spirits and discourage him from getting down off the pole and learning how to walk.”

“I don’t like the crows, mommy” Beatrice’s voice was sounding drowsy.

“I didn’t like them either, which was why Toto and I scared them off.” Dorothy chuckled as she relived the moment. “Toto bit the fat one’s leg.”

“Good boy, Toto” Her daughter gently rubbed his side but Toto was already out for the night. “Did you teach Scarecrow to walk, mommy?”

“I sure did and it wasn’t long before he was doing it on his own.” Dorothy looked off into space and smiled thoughtfully. “He was the smartest one amongst us all. He even found the yellow brick road that I spent the whole previous night looking for. I swear he had more brains than any of us.” When she peered back down at the bed, she saw that Beatrice was out like a light. She caressed her jet black hair. Seeing her daughter so still and peaceful was a sight she thanked the good Lord for because it never happened during the daytime.

Before rising up from her spot beside the bed, Dorothy added, “Scarecrow had me laughing and always singing and dancing by his side. He was so gentle, sweet, brave, and had a passion for learning new things. He wasn’t just my first friend in Oz…He was my best friend and I miss him very much.” She kissed her little girl on top of her head before turning around to exit the room.

As she turned off the lights and switched on the nightlight, she heard, “Mommy?”

Dorothy peered behind her. “Yes, baby?”

Beatrice still had her eyes close when she said, “I want to see Scarecrow.”

She did too, she thought but instead of admitting that truth, she just said something that would be more likely to happen. “Maybe you will one day, angel. Maybe one day you will.”