Too broken to be fixed,(Book 1)

Danny Gonzalez has spent every day since his wife's death pretending he's still the man he used to be. To everyone else, he's a devoted father, a loving partner, and a man doing his best. But inside, he feels like a hollowed-out version of himself, a person going through the motions while carrying a weight too heavy to bear. His grief has settled deep into his bones, twisting into something darker, something suffocating. No matter how much love surrounds him-from his three children, Max, Sophia, and Emily, to his partner, Drew, and their closest friend, Kurtis-Danny can't shake the feeling that he's drowning in a life that no longer feels like his own.

Drew has always been steady, the one person who never wavers, never turns away, never lets go. Their relationship was never meant to be anything more than shared responsibility and support, but over time, the lines blurred. It wasn't something either of them planned-love just found a way in between the late-night talks, the quiet reassurances, and the unspoken understanding between them. But love, no matter how deep, can't erase the scars Danny carries, and it can't make him believe he's worthy of it.

Day by day, the weight of his own mind drags him further away from the people who need him most. His body is present, but his soul feels like it's slipping further into a place no one can reach. He knows the world around him is still moving-his children growing, his partner waiting, his best friend watching with quiet concern-but he feels like he's already been left behind.

Survival is supposed to be the first step toward healing, but Danny isn't sure he wants to be healed. He isn't sure he deserves it. And as the days pass, as the darkness grows heavier, the question isn't whether he'll be okay-it's whether he can keep pretending long enough for the people who love him to stop hoping he will be.