↳ STATE OF GRACE ❪ TOP GUN: MAVERICK. ❫

𝒊. unexpected calls

BEAUMONT HOUSEHOLD
SAN DIEGO, 2018 (09.54am)

LANGSTON BEAUMONT LIKED to think that he had already lived a pretty decent life.

     He'd spent a majority of it living on the edge of both danger and glory, earning prestige and gold-silver medals like it were mere totems of memorabilia ━━ while a good sum of it, on the other hand, he has spent nurturing a family he had always wanted to have. Whilst men like him with the kind of stature and experience would've liked otherwise, he was always determined to have a home filled with the people he loved to come home to, regardless of the consequences it may bring in an instance where a mission is much riskier than the last.

     And although Langston knew that his wife was a tough person to crack, having spent years trying to weasel himself into her life, her obvious reluctance of becoming attached to a naval aviator that was notorious for always nearly getting himself killed didn't deter him one bit. He was persistent and understanding of that fear, so she eventually gave in, much to his utmost delight when the three-letter word finally spilled from her lips.

     Years later, with much love and a few ups and downs here and there, he became a father to the brightest little girl he named Ophelia Beaumont. It wasn't long before one turned into two, and two became three, much to his sister's delight and distraction having been given a chance to co-parent the little younglings whenever Langston was away for a mission and Soon-ri was needed back at base. They became quite a big family, if he did say so himself, and ━━ despite the sleepless nights he and his wife would suffer whenever they were back home and actually had to take care of their own children ━━ he wouldn't have had it any other way.

     Even so, with the difficulty of juggling the duties he had between being a father and a goddamn four-star Admiral, everything just falls into place.

     Okay, sure, his eldest is trying to isolate herself from everyone after a traumatic experience two years ago, his second child is pretty adamant in letting his parents know that he wants nothing to do with them, and his youngest just came out as a lesbian during dinner last night ( which he had to repeat to himself and to his daughter, over and over again like a mantra, was okay, and that he still loves her no matter what ). . . but that's normal, isn't it? His wife is there by his side, anyway, and she's suffering just as much as he was! So it was fine, totally perfect.

     Everything is just perfect and nothing, and by nothing he means nothing, could make it so otherwise━━

     "Dad, it's one of your work friends again!"

     He spoke too soon.

     Langston lifts his gaze from the newspaper on the counter of their kitchen, a mug of hot, freshly brewed coffee in his grip. Soon-ri had been busy wiping the plates clean as their daughter's, Carol's, voice echoed throughout the house, her already pinched features drawing further with suspicion. The man couldn't even breathe a sigh of exasperation, knowing very well that she'd hear it. It was a habit of hers to jump into the conclusion that her husband always knew what the meaning of an out-of-the-blue contact from work would mean.

     Normally, such things wouldn't cause for such caution in his part, especially around Soon-ri who knew what anything and everything means with his line of work after working on the same sector for most of her life as well. It really wouldn't make him act as though he was walking on eggshells around her if he had no clue why someone from work would call him. Especially after assuring his wife that he was going to take a break from all of it.