New York ( CNN ) -- The idea for getting married was partly Kevin 's idea . The 11-year-old also thought it would be neat if daddy and papa tied the knot on the same day the couple met 15-years earlier on a softball field . So Peter Mercurio -- papa -- and Daniel Stewart -- daddy -- started planning . `` I was walking Kevin to school one morning , '' Mercurio said , explaining to his son that he did not know yet who would conduct the ceremony , or where . And he said , 'Do n't judges perform ceremonies ? Why do n't you try to contact the judge who finalized my adoption ? ' I said that was a great idea . '' In Manhattan Family Court last July , with a few friends and family present , the state affirmed what the three guys had known instinctively for a long time : they were a family . Their story comes as the U.S. Supreme Court gets ready to debate on Tuesday and Wednesday the issue of same-sex marriage -- the legalities , the politics , the social implications . It is a personal narrative , though no less important -- than trying to figure out the meaning of the Constitution and the limits of `` equal protection . '' Obama views on same-sex marriage reflect societal shifts . A day old and abandoned . `` I found a baby ! '' Stewart 's voice was frantic , and the echoes from the A/C/E subway station on Eighth Avenue only added to the initial confusion . `` I said I had called 911 , but I did n't think they believed me . '' `` I told him I did n't believe it either , '' said Mercurio . But he rushed to the scene and to a remote area behind the turnstiles . There , wrapped in a dark sweatshirt , lying quietly , was a brown-skinned , day-old infant . Abandoned . They could have walked away , but they stayed . Authorities soon arrived and took the child , naming him Daniel Ace Doe -- for the man who found him , the subway line , and the sad anonymity . The story made news . A few months later , Stewart was called to testify in family court about . Opinion : Slowly , GOP shifting on same-sex marriage . The judge dropped a bombshell : `` Would you be interested in adopting this baby ? '' The answer was an immediate yes . But Stewart privately knew it would not be easy . His partner at first wanted to go slowly , or not at all . `` My first reaction when I heard : 'Are you insane ? How could you say yes without consulting me ? ' '' said Mercurio , laughing at the memory . The couple had been together three years but their careers as an aspiring playwright and social worker took precedence at the time . Becoming parents and strengthening their bond was never discussed . `` I saw this opportunity here , this gift to be parents to this child . And how could we not say yes to that opportunity ? '' Stewart said told CNN Justice Correspondent Joe Johns . `` It seemed like it was divine intervention -- it was meant to be . '' Mercurio agreed . `` I think a lot of my initial response to Danny -- saying we were not ready to do this -- was all fear-based . And once I got over that , a calm set in . And you know , we went about methodically , preparing our lives for a child . '' Line forms days ahead of same-sex argument . Crib and blankets just before Christmas . It was a mad scramble to get ready , parenting classes , crib , diapers , and blankets . Then just days before Christmas , they were told the baby would be transferred to their care . `` Our paternal instincts took over and it became a natural thing of how to take care of him , '' Mercurio said . They took their son home on a snowy day , riding the same C train where they found him . As blessed as they felt , the couple knew there would be challenges . When they first held the boy -- whom they soon renamed Kevin -- at the foster home they found him guarded . `` In fact when we saw him he did n't blink . His eyes were just wide open and his arms were very stiff and tightly crossed across his chest , '' said Mercurio . `` So we got him in this condition and we thought we just need to love this kid immediately , '' added Stewart . `` So we played with him and build up his trust in parents . Build up his trust in adults -- that he could be cared for , nurtured , and loved . So we showered him with love and touch . Did n't take long . He loosened up . '' CNN is not identifying Kevin by his last name or his picture , to protect his privacy . But he knows the story of his discovery . Gay couple fights for right to marry in epic high court battle . A quiet family life . Mercurio and Stewart created an illustrated child 's storybook , dramatizing the events -- from the subway to meeting his new family . `` One day he asked me : Dad is the story about me ? '' said Stewart . `` I was very happy , '' said Kevin . He likes sports , his school , and his friends . The family went back to the dark underground station . They were all a little nervous about how Kevin would react . `` I think that was important for him to see and know that because now he has a connection , '' said Stewart . `` I mean it 's not just something abstract . He really has seen , and knows , and understands . And he has taking a lot of pride in that spot . That 's his station . That 's his place . This is where we became a family . '' Stewart and Mercurio are not activists . They live , quiet lives in Manhattan and like all parents , find joy and occasional frustration in raising a soon-to-be teenager . `` You know sometimes in life you have to say yes , '' Mercurio said . `` And we said 'yes ' to becoming this baby 's parents and it was the best 'yes ' decision we have ever made in our lives . '' Stewart said the story speaks to a core of humanity . `` I mean , deep down when you strip away all those layers , all those labels , we 're all human beings and were all connected by certain things that we need in our lives -- love , '' he said . Married same-sex couple awaits epic high court appeal . CNN 's Joe Johns and Stacey Samuel contributed to this story .
Story of a same-sex couple personalizes family as Supreme Court readies for arguments . Baby was found abandoned in a New York City subway station . ' Score: 6 but they were already a family . The family lives a quiet life in Manhattan .