Goodfella

I drove Julian to daycare this morning. Very much on my mind was all the fighting that has been going on between Ian and Julian (alas, Easter vaca means lots of together time and they have the bruises and scratches to show for it).

So I say to Julian: "Hey, you know you and Ian have been fighting a lot."

I look in the backseat and he has this face like DeNiro's in Taxi Driver when he says "You talkin' to me?"

"You know, it makes Mama and Papa really sad when you guys fight."

Still the DeNiro face.

"Yeah, it makes us sad. How do you guys feel?"

Now the face has shifted to DeNiro, but in The Untouchables, as Capone. I'm not encouraged.

"Do you guys feel sad?"

Still the Capone face. Julian puts his head back a little, does something that almost looks like winking, and purses his lips. I'm tempted to duck in anticipation of the swinging bat.

"So Julian, do you guys feel sad?"

He looks me straight in the rear view mirror and says: "NOPE."

I drive on, contemplating my 3-year-old's steely lack of compassion. I wondered if Julian and Ian had a deal to keep quiet. Like DeNiro says in Goodfellas: "never rat on your friends, and keep your mouth shut."

If they do, it's gonna be a long time 'til we get to 18.