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Show ^buO^^fx/COCMiKJ^ or /\6£_ / PA6£_ 9 to laugh, anc after scowling at himself, he does too. The 3cor? inches up to five apiece, both of us working out the kinks that our warm-up period didn't take care of. Dad is at the line. He stands and concentrates on the ball in his hand for a few seconds, while I try to divine which serve he will pull on me this time. A hard slider to the right? A lob'7' A left; corner that slio-s along the back wall, (one ;>f his favorites;? He's playing 'iiall now so I have to be an my toes. DaJ =5-5 himself f"y legs gat readi^ to catapult m*j body either to the left -r rro the right, depending on what mu brain tells them to do after th5 tall leaves Dad's hand. Split second timing is crucial here; the serve iz a players best shot, and if I delay mu positioning an instant, the point is his. He _:nds up, the ball tears out of his hand, facuncas off the front wall, and speeds down the left side, coming off the back close against the left ^all. I am in proper position anu swing, but to no avail. With the speed and spin on that ball, a return is just too difficult, and I mis: it completely, while Dad celebrates my failure by giving a little iiihoop of excitement. His joy is understandable, of course. It's always terribly satisfying to serve an ace. Dad isn't so lucky on the next serve. He tries the same one along tne right wall, but I smack this one into the cexiing and down, forcing him to run to trie back wall to retrieve it. He gets it okay, and a lon-> volley ensues. -3- We both struggle to gain the advantage, but neither of us is able |