After living in a Russian orphanage, he was adopted by the Sweeneys and came to live with them at the end of January 2000. Roman, you had two gloves when you left for school today. The pit is built simply, a circle in the dirt lined with a very low wall of boards. The point of the game, which the Sweeneys learned at camp, is to avoid getting hit below the knees with a tennis ball, though Roman just has to avoid getting hit on the legs. However, Thadryan was camp champ.
Roman plays with the grace and strength of a gymnast.
He shows off by swinging into a headstand and hitting the ball, a big grin spreading across his face. Another move sees him flipping up onto his right arm and spinning his body away from the ball. Pam, standing in a doorway with a cup of coffee, acts as referee. She tells Toby to apologize. The afternoon air feels cool, and crispy brown leaves scatter across the lawn.