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I pressed my lips together. “You knew Jacob liked me?”

He nodded. “It’s not like me to interfere, I just...”

“I know. You love Jacob.”

“And I love you too, kiddo. I don’t want to be that guy.”

“You mean like my dad?” I laughed.

He smiled. “Exactly. I’m supposed to be the cool uncle.”

“You are the cool uncle.”

He sighed. “I just wanted to tell you that I was sorry. For all of it.”

I glanced back into the living room where Jacob was sitting. He was laughing about something with Liam. “He’s okay, right?”

“He will be. He has a big heart. Like his mother. He’ll learn to love someone else just as much.” It looked like it pained Uncle Matt to say the words out loud.

I swallowed hard. He was definitely referring to Aunt Brooklyn loving another man at one point. Jacob’s father. “I didn’t mean to hurt him. I’m so sorry...”

“I know, kiddo. No one is mad at you.”

“You’re not?” I looked up at him.

“Of course not.” He pulled me into a hug.

I smiled and pulled back.

And that’s when Uncle Matt saw my ring.

I quickly tucked my hand back into my pocket. “Uncle Matt, I haven’t told my dad yet, I...”

He put his hand on my shoulder. “Congratulations, kiddo.” The way he said it sounded so sincere. Tears welled in the corners of my eyes.

“Thank you. I said yes this morning.” I just realized what I’d said out loud. Eek. “I mean because I called him on the phone, not because I saw him in person...”

Uncle Matt laughed. “It’s fine. It’s not like any of the adults in that room haven’t snuck out of the house a time or two in their days.”

I wasn’t sure they had trapdoors in their floors though.

“Really, congratulations.”

I smiled. But it faltered. “My dad is going to freak out, isn’t he?”

“Well this time I’ll have your back.”

“Thanks, Uncle Matt. I need to go figure out the game plan with Axel.”

Uncle Matt nodded. “Good luck, kiddo.”

God, what would I have done if I hadn’t had the most amazing uncles in the world growing up? I walked back into the living room.

Axel was sitting next to Jacob on the couch now. They were talking about something. There didn’t seem to be any awkward tension around them now. Which I was relieved about. But maybe before we told my mom, we should tell Jacob. I didn’t want him to have to hear with everyone else.

“Hey,” I said and leaned on the couch behind them. “Axel, could I borrow you for a sec?”

“Yeah. Sure.”