Chapter Text
1.
The institution of marriage is one that most couples hold as a sacrament of sorts — the kind of vow that one tries, at least outwardly, to uphold.
2.
It has become increasingly clear to Martin Blackwood (now Martin Aubrey St. John Bouchard-Lukas) that his new fathers were not most couples.
For all intents and purposes, it should have been obvious from the outset. Some would say that he was too young to pick up on the intricacies of such a relationship as theirs, but, more likely than not, he simply didn’t think to pay attention. And why would he? In times of great upset, intricacies are often the last thing one focuses on.
And besides, he knew how a relationship was meant to fall apart. His parents tried to keep their fights behind closed doors, to act as though everything was fine in that way failed couples trying desperately to hold onto nuclear normalcy often do. But children are often more observant than the adults in their life give them credit for, and it wasn’t a surprise for Martin when his father left them. Nor was it one when his mother broke the news that she had to give him up.
“It isn’t your fault,” she tried to reassure him. “This is for the best. For both of us. You know how time-consuming my treatment is, I don’t think I can raise you without him.”
That was several months ago, but nonetheless, even time could not truly prepare him for the feeling of being woken up by his mother for his last morning in the bedroom that he had always called home.