For Now

He hides behind his sketchbook. She hides behind perfection. And they’re both carrying wounds that run deeper than either of them suspects.
Dacus Michaelson is keeping his head down. With 250 hours of community service for a mistake that really wasn’t his and a father whose unchecked combat PTSD is quietly unraveling his family, life feels more about survival than ambition.
Charleigh Hawkins has a plan for everything—AP classes, philanthropic extracurriculars, and a prestigious fellowship to launch her future. The only thing she can’t seem to manage is her father’s impossible expectations.
Thrown together volunteering at a nursing home, the clash comes before the connection. But when Charleigh’s fellowship project becomes an investigation into the generational trauma of combat PTSD, Dacus reluctantly becomes a research partner… and then more. But the closer they get, the harder it becomes to keep the darkness at bay, and when it finally breaks through, it touches them both in ways they never saw coming.
Now Charleigh must decide what she’s fighting for—a carefully constructed future that’s cracking at the seams or the boy who showed her that real life begins in the messy truths of who we really are.
For Now explores the war after the war and the casualties that rarely make the headlines—quiet wounds passed down through the generations and the courage it takes to finally set them down.
Genre: Contemporary with Romance Age: Mature YA (Ages 18-21) Spice: Fade-to-black/Closed door
Author Note

This book was written with love and honesty from a vulnerable place. It examines the combat PTSD-affected life in all of its intricate corners. This is not an easy subject to discuss and can be even more uncomfortable at times to witness. However, it is a true and honest reflection of the subject matter.

There is a heavy amount of potentially triggering content in these pages. Please take care to understand what unfolds in the story and whether you are comfortable and able to proceed. This is an extremely important subject but also a heavy one. While the book does embrace the hope through the heaviness, it is strongly encouraged that all readers take heed of the content warnings and self-evaluate.

Content Warnings
  • Language (including two uses of “F,” but only as it logically makes sense in dialogue)
  • Combat PTSD (depicted in detail, including flashback/dissociative episodes)
  • Veteran suicide (including a scene depicting the aftermath of a suicide attempt by carbon monoxide)
  • Suicidal ideation
  • Suicide of a secondary character (off-page but explicitly described)
  • PTSD flashback episodes (including physical altercations during dissociative states)
  • Parental emotional abuse / verbal abuse
  • Parental alcohol abuse
  • Domestic tension and an unsafe home environment
  • Anxiety and depression
  • Generational trauma
  • Child/teen witnessing a parent’s mental health crisis
  • Mild injury during a PTSD episode
  • Grief and loss (death of an elderly character)
  • Emotionally absent / neglectful parenting
  • A parent using a child as emotional caretaker
  • Mild violence (physical altercation that leads to Dacus’s community service charge)
  • Discussion of war casualties and combat death
Resources for Military Families

Crisis and Immediate Help

  • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 (available 24/7) — also available for veterans by pressing 1 after dialing.
  • Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255, press 1 | Text 838255 | Chat at veteranscrisisline.net
  • Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741

PTSD and Mental Health

  • NAMI Helpline: 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) | nami.org
  • AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention): afsp.org — resources, survivor support, and local walks
  • PTSD Alliance: ptsdalliance.org — education and referral resource
  • Psychology Today Therapist Finder: psychologytoday.com/us/therapists

For Veterans and Military Families

  • 22KILL: 22kill.com — veteran mental health awareness and peer support
  • Stop Soldier Suicide: stopsoldiersuicide.org
  • Give an Hour: giveanhour.org — free mental health care for military and families
  • Blue Star Families: bluestarfam.org — support and connection for military families
  • DAV (Disabled American Veterans): dav.org — benefits, advocacy, and support

For Families and Loved Ones of Those with PTSD

  • NAMI Family Support Group: nami.org/Support-Education/Support-Groups — free peer support
  • After Deployment: afterdeployment.dcoe.mil — wellbeing resources for military families
  • Caregiver Action Network: caregiveraction.org — support for those caring for loved ones with illness or trauma

Art Therapy Resources

  • American Art Therapy Association: arttherapy.org — find a credentialed art therapist
  • National Expressive Arts Therapy Association: neatainc.org

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