Meet the Los Angeles family redefining what a 'traditional family' looks like

LOS ANGELES, CA (KABC) -- Seven-year-old Hartley loves video games, books, art and soccer.

Like many children his age, he's also starting to notice that his family looks a little different from some of his friends'.

"It's kinda strange because they live in two different houses," Hartley said. "Usually some people don't have parents in two separate houses."

His parents aren't divorced. In fact, they were never a couple.

His mother, Brandi Andrews, identifies as a lesbian. His father, Lawrence Carroll, is a gay man.

The two met years ago while working together at The Abbey in West Hollywood, one of the most iconic gathering places in the LGBTQ+ community.

As close friends, they often talked about where they were in life and what they wanted for their future.

"We were both having a conversation about what we wanted in our life and where we were at in our lives," Carroll said. "I think we were both sorta just like, I'm just gonna do it on my own."

Then a coworker offered a suggestion neither had seriously considered before.

"A coworker of ours jumped in and was like, 'Why don't y'all just have a baby together?' And we were like, 'Ah! Okay!'" Andrews recalled.

A few years later, they decided to do exactly that.

Without a fertility clinic, Andrews and Carroll used an at-home insemination kit and successfully conceived Hartley on their first attempt.

"We were able to conceive partly within a week, so we got really lucky with that," Carroll said. "He was meant to be here. He wanted to be here."

Today, Hartley splits his time equally between both households.

Carroll describes co-parenting as a constant learning process.

"It's kinda trial and error, a little bit," he said. "But I think what we've both been able to accomplish through it all, the trial and error, is just recognizing what is really important, which is always him."

While Andrews and Carroll maintain separate homes, continue dating and remain active in the LGBTQ+ community, they also share the responsibilities that come with raising a child, from school pickups and doctor's appointments to sports practices and swim lessons.

"He's playing soccer, he's doing karate and he's bouncing around, and the boy loves to swim," Carroll said.

For Andrews, sharing their story during Pride Month is about showing that families can be built in different ways.

"I like to be the example that you don't have to choose a certain way to make a family," she said. "You can do things on your own accord and what feels good to your body."

For Hartley, though, those conversations about family structure aren't something he spends much time thinking about.

He's busy being a kid-- and whether he's at Mom's house or Dad's house, he knows both places are home.