🩸Saw One Shots 🩸

Day 5- Parenting

Some say it takes a village to raise a child. Or in this case, it takes a doctor, a photographer and the doctor's ex wife to raise a teenager.

(Alt title: in which Adam and Lawrence have very different parenting styles, but they're trying)

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There was something oddly satisfying about working in his darkroom. What started out as once just a really shitty closet, transformed into a red tinted secluded room where Adam could work in peace, music blaring through his walkman. Something about it being the perfect place to let chemicals flow across the prints, taking time and patience to develop them instead of seconds like the new digital age made his heart soar. He liked the traditional route, sue him.

He quit photographing people long ago. It brought too many bad memories, and he didn't want to go back to his old ways of being a voyeur. Though old habits did die hard at times, he had grown since then. Nearing his mid thirties, he found a somewhat steady career in pet photography. It was a combination of two things he loved: taking pictures and cute animals. Since he never fulfilled his dream of becoming a vet, this was the next best option.

He maneuvered his print tongs towards damp paper, tongue sticking out in concentration as he focused intently on piling the photos on the makeshift line. It was a steady routine. Dip the chemicals in, adjust the aperture so it was just right, and keep moving until everything was perfect.

This particular shoot involved a sweet goldendoodle named Honey. She was so incredibly photogenic and obedient, that once Adam got home afterwards, he begged Lawrence to consider adopting a dog---even if both men preferred cats in general.

It was strange, being so domestic all of a sudden. Ten years ago, when he was at the lowest point in his life, he never would have imagined working a dream job, living with the man he loved, and actually...enjoying being alive. Best of all, not only did he love Lawrence, but he found that he loved himself too.

He wiped his brow and placed the tongs on the tray. Later, Diana would be arriving to stay for the weekend as per usual, and then Lawrence would come home after work in the evening. It took a while to actually sort out the custody agreements, but thankfully everyone involved was patient.

Co-parenting was another aspect he loved. He never once pictured himself as a dad. He was impulsive, angry, high maintenance --- a bad influence towards others, especially kids. But part of him wanted to be a better father than his own dad ever was.

Adam adored Diana, even though he was more like a cool uncle than a dad, with Alison and Lawrence being there, raising her was the best part of their lives. Sometimes he went to the extreme with spoiling her, but it couldn't be helped.

Speaking of which, once he decided to leave his prints to set, he heard a knock. With a grin, he dashed towards the front of the apartment and opened the door.

He was a little surprised to see Alison Gordon (no, wait, she was Alison Thatcher now) standing with Diana. Not that he was against seeing her, they had moved on like adults and were even friendly now. But it was still odd.

Then he saw Diana, looking as though she wanted to disappear in her black hoodie and immediately understood.

"Hey guys!" He greeted, hoping to ease the tension.

Diana ignored him, but Alison politely smiled. "Hi Adam. How are you?"

He shrugged. "Eh, can't complain. And you?"

"...Fine."

There was an awkward silence. Diana shot an annoyed look at her mom, then at Adam.

"Hey Princess, how's it----"