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“Huzzah,” my dad said and stepped in front of the TV. He sounded weirdly like Uncle Rob. I think something in him had snapped. “Jacob and Axel both love my daughter.”

I was completely frozen in place.

“And now she gets to choose who to date. Not marry. I think we have some dessert in the kitchen. Where is Ellen? Ellen?!”

Ellen walked into the living room. Her eyes were round like she’d been eavesdropping on this whole strange conversation. “James,” she said in a voice she used to scold me in when I was little.

“I didn’t do anything, Ellen.”

“We’ll see about that,” Uncle Rob said. “I’m not hungry anyway. Actually, Ellen. Some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches might be nice.” He hit a button and the video started playing.

A much smaller Axel was pacing in front of our doorway with a bouquet of flowers. And I instantly knew which day this was. He was wearing a gray t-shirt and dark jeans. The same outfit he was wearing when we’d gone to that party in sixth grade and played spin the bottle. When he’d kissed Ava Williams. His first kiss. The one that I’d wanted so desperately.

Had Axel’s countdown really started on this day? Why?

My dad opened the door in the video and Axel stopped pacing.

“Uncle James,” Axel said. “I need to talk to Scarlett right away.”

“Why?” my dad asked.

“Because I made a mistake. We were playing spin the bottle at the party and my bottle landed on Ava. I asked Scarlett if I shouldn’t. But she said no, that it was fine. And then Ava was pulling me into the closet and...” He shook his head. “I don’t know if Scarlett loves me. But I love her with all my heart. I always have. And I want her to be my girlfriend for the rest of my life.”

“So that’s why she came back from the party crying?”

“I’m sorry, Uncle James. I didn’t expect her to say no.”

“Well, I don’t know what you’re doing here then,” my dad said. “She already told you no.”

Axel shook his head. “But I think maybe she wanted to say yes.”

“But she said no.”

“But maybe...”

“She said no, Axel. No means no.”

Axel looked down at his sneakers. “I just want to apologize.”

“Anyone who makes my daughter cry isn’t good enough to date her. Period.”

Axel sniffed and looked up. “I didn’t mean to make her cry.” Axel looked like he was about to burst into tears now.

“But you did.”

“I won’t make her cry ever again. I promise.”

My dad just stared at him. “You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep.”

Axel sniffed again.

“Look. No one is allowed to ask my daughter out any time soon anyway. Not until she’s legal and whoever it is is serious enough to propose.”

Axel looked up at him. “What is legal?”

“Eighteen.”

“Okay, I’ll propose then.”