What is the negative situation in the twins lives that the teacher alludes to in the first chapter?

The negative situation in the twins’ lives that the teacher has referred to is the death of their father, who makes an appearance through the use of flashbacks starting in Chapter One, as Conner daydreams of the times that he and Alex would go to their grandmother's house, and the multitude of fairy tales they would hear during these visits. The father was a major influence in their lives, using unique fairy tales as analogies to show both of them that their own unique gifts will be useful to them later on, even if they feel down at the moment.