Chapter 716: Finally

The final song played through the speakers one last time as Dayo sat in his creative room, listening carefully. His eyes moved between the screen and the notebook beside his keyboard, where several corrections had been written in his handwriting. He had spent the better part of the morning going through the album, checking the arrangements and making sure every song sounded the way he had imagined it. There were still a few small things he could adjust, but he knew he would only keep finding something else to change if he allowed himself to continue.

He reached for the mouse and saved the final version of the project before leaning back in his chair. For a moment, he simply stared at the screen, taking in the collection of files arranged in front of him. Twelve songs, each carrying a piece of something he had experienced, written and arranged over the past month. He had already worked out the melodies and most of the instrumentals, and although the recording sessions were still ahead of him, the creative part of the album was complete.

A small smile appeared on his face as he closed the project.

"Finally."

The word came out quietly, but it carried the satisfaction of someone who had spent weeks working towards a particular moment. He had barely noticed how quickly the days had passed. Most mornings had begun with him entering the room after breakfast, and before he knew it, Luna would be calling him to come out for lunch or dinner. Sometimes he stayed longer than he intended, especially when a melody came to him and he needed to work on it before the idea disappeared. There had been days when he barely left the room except to eat, shower and spend a little time with his family.

He enjoyed the work, but even he knew that he needed to stop. His mind had been occupied with music for so long that he was beginning to feel the exhaustion. There was no point forcing himself to continue when the songs were already where he wanted them to be.

Dayo pushed his chair back and stood, stretching his arms before walking towards the door. He opened it and stepped into the hallway, enjoying the change from the quiet room to the sounds coming from the rest of the house. A television played somewhere downstairs, and he could hear Luna moving around in the kitchen.

When he entered, she was standing by the counter, preparing a meal. Several ingredients had been arranged beside the chopping board, and a pot was already on the cooker. She was concentrating on what she was doing, so she didn’t notice him immediately.

Dayo walked up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist, drawing her gently against him before placing a kiss on her cheek.

Luna paused, then turned her head slightly to look at him. "What are you doing outside? Aren’t you supposed to be in your creative room?"

He smiled and rested his chin briefly against her shoulder. "I’m allowed to come out, you know."

"Of course you are, but this time is unusual. You’ve barely left that room since morning. Is something wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong. I’m done."

She turned more fully towards him, wiping her hands with a kitchen towel. "Done with what?"

"The album. I’ve finished writing everything."

"Wait, you’re serious?" Luna asked, studying his face to see whether he was joking. "You’ve finished the whole thing?"

Dayo nodded. "Every song. The melodies, the arrangements, the beats. Everything is ready. I only have to get into the studio and record them."

"That’s good news." Her expression softened into a smile. "I know how much time you’ve spent working on it. I’m happy you’re finally done."

"Thank you. I think I deserve a little rest now."

"You definitely do. You’ve been hiding in that room for a whole month."

"I wasn’t hiding. I was working."

"Whatever you want to call it." She turned back towards the cooker, picking up the spoon she had left beside the pot. "Now that you’re free, you can help me with something."

Dayo looked at the food on the counter and then at her. "What exactly do you need?"

"Nothing. Just leave me to finish cooking."

He gave her a doubtful look. "Are you sure? Because I was thinking of preparing something myself."

Luna stopped stirring and glanced at him. "You just came out after spending a month working. The first thing you want to do is enter the kitchen?"

"Well, I can’t just sit around doing nothing. Besides, I haven’t cooked in a while."

"Please, Dayo. Just leave it for me."

He laughed and moved away from the counter. "Are you afraid I’ll make something better?"

"Here we go again." Luna shook her head as she continued cooking. "I knew you were going to start."

"I’m only asking a simple question. Do you want to compare your cooking to mine?"

"Dayo, please don’t start."

"I’m not insulting you. Your food is nice, but you know you can’t compare it to mine. After all, I’m a four-star chef. A verified one, in case you’ve forgotten."

Luna turned around with the spoon still in her hand. "Fine. You don’t have to rub it in my face every time you enter the kitchen."

"Then don’t challenge my reputation."

"I didn’t challenge anything. You’re the one who keeps talking about your cooking."

He chuckled, watching her return her attention to the meal. "Alright, I’ll stop. But you know something?"

"What now?"

"I still prefer your cooking."

"Please, come and try it first before you start making statements."

"I don’t need to. I already know it’s good."

"Then wait until it’s ready."

Dayo moved towards the dining table and pulled out a chair. He was still smiling when he heard footsteps approaching from the hallway. Jennifer appeared a moment later, looking towards the kitchen as she called out to her parents.

"Mummy! Papa!"

Dayo turned immediately. "Ah, there’s my baby girl."

Jennifer ran towards him, and he lowered himself to receive her. He lifted her into his arms, giving her a kiss before settling her against his chest. She held onto him for a moment, but instead of smiling as she usually did, she looked at him with a serious expression.

"Papa, you’ve been staying in your room."

Dayo looked at her, then glanced briefly towards Luna, who had stopped cooking to listen. "Have I?"

"Yes. You don’t come to play with me."

"I come out to eat, don’t I?"

"But you always go back." Jennifer’s little hands rested against his shoulders. "I want you to play with me."

He understood what she meant. Even though he had been coming out for meals and spending a few minutes with them, most of his attention had been on the album. Jennifer was young, but she had noticed the change in his routine. She was used to having him around, and the long hours he spent in his creative room had left her wanting more of his time.

Dayo adjusted her in his arms and kissed her forehead. "I’m sorry, sweetheart. Daddy has been busy with work, but I’m finished now."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. I won’t be spending all my time in that room anymore. You have me for the whole week."

Jennifer looked at him as if she needed to be certain he meant it. "The whole week?"

"The whole week. We can play, watch your favourite shows, go out and do whatever you want."

Her expression changed immediately. "Can we go outside?"

"Of course we can."

"And you will come with me?"

"I’ll come with you."

Jennifer wrapped her arms around his neck, pleased with the answer. Dayo held her close, allowing her to settle comfortably against him before carrying her towards the sitting room. Luna watched them leave the kitchen with a smile, then returned to the food she was preparing.

The rest of the afternoon passed without Dayo thinking about the album. Jennifer kept him occupied, bringing out her toys and insisting that he sit on the floor with her. They played together for a while, and when she became tired of the toys, she asked him to watch a cartoon with her. He agreed, settling beside her on the sofa while she leaned against his arm. Luna joined them later, carrying their drinks and sitting on the other side of Jennifer.

For once, Dayo wasn’t checking his phone every few minutes or thinking about the next adjustment he needed to make to a song. He was simply there with them, listening to Jennifer talk about the things she wanted to do and answering her questions as they came.

Over the following days, he made sure to keep the promise he had given her. They went out together, spent time at places Jennifer enjoyed and did things that had been postponed while he was working. One of the outings took them to an amusement destination where Jennifer spent much of the day moving between the activities she was allowed to enjoy. Dayo accompanied her, sometimes laughing at her excitement and sometimes having to remind her to slow down when she became too eager to move on to the next attraction.

Luna watched the two of them from nearby, occasionally joining in when Jennifer wanted both her parents to participate. Dayo took photographs throughout the day, especially whenever Jennifer insisted on posing for another picture. By the time they returned home, she was tired enough to fall asleep during the journey.

A few days later, Dayo arranged a short vacation at a resort so they could spend more time away from their usual routine. The change of environment gave them an opportunity to relax without having to think about household responsibilities or work. Jennifer enjoyed having both parents around throughout the day, while Dayo and Luna took turns accompanying her to the different activities available at the resort.

Their evenings were quieter. After Jennifer had settled down for the night, Dayo and Luna sometimes sat together and talked about ordinary things. They discussed the places they had visited, the things they wanted to do in the coming months and the little moments they had missed while he was working on the album. There was no need to turn every conversation towards something serious. They were comfortable enough to sit together, laugh and enjoy the time they had.

By the end of the week, Dayo could feel the difference. He had spent an entire month concentrating on his music, and the break had given him enough distance to return to his usual routine without feeling as though his mind was still trapped inside the creative room. The album was complete, and he no longer had to spend every available hour thinking about the next song.

When they returned home, Jennifer was still talking about the vacation and the places she wanted them to visit again. Dayo listened as he helped her settle in, promising that they would make another trip when the opportunity came. Luna was equally pleased with the break, especially because she had finally been able to spend uninterrupted time with him.

Sunday passed quietly. Dayo spent part of the morning with his family before settling down in the sitting room. He had no particular plans for the day, and he was perfectly comfortable with that. His phone was resting on the table when it began to ring.

He picked it up and saw Valerie’s name on the screen. After exchanging a brief greeting with Luna, he answered the call.

"Hello, Valerie."

"Hey, Dayo. How are you doing?"

"I’m good. How about you?"

"I’m fine. How’s the break going? Have you been able to get some rest?"

Dayo leaned back against the sofa. "Yeah, it’s been good. I needed it, honestly."

"I can imagine. You’ve been locked away working on that album for quite some time. I wanted to check on you and see how the songwriting was going. Have you made any progress?"

He smiled slightly. "Actually, I’m done."

There was a short pause on the other end.

"You’re done?" Valerie asked, sounding surprised.

"Yeah. I finished everything before taking the break."

"Wait a minute. You mean the entire album?"

"Yes, Valerie. All twelve songs."

She was quiet for another moment, apparently trying to take in what he had just said. "Dayo, sometimes I genuinely don’t know what to say about you. You spent a month working on the album, and now you’re telling me you’ve completed everything?"

"What did you expect me to do?"

"I expected you to take a little longer, at least. You know we’re talking about an entire album, right? You didn’t just write the lyrics. You worked on the melodies and the production too."

"I know. I’ve already arranged most of the instrumentals. There are only a few things that need to be added when we get into the studio, but the creative work is done."

Valerie let out a small laugh. "Sometimes I think you’re an alien. There are things you do that still surprise me, even after all the time we’ve worked together. How does someone finish an entire album in a month?"

Dayo chuckled. "I mean, you’ve told me that more times than I can count, so I’m not surprised anymore."

"Of course you’re not. You’re the one doing it."

"Well, what can I say?"

"Nothing. I’ll leave you to your mysterious ways." Her tone became more businesslike. "Anyway, there’s an important meeting we need to have. I wanted to speak with you about a few things concerning the company, and now that you’ve finished the album, we can discuss the next steps as well."

Dayo glanced towards the window, where the afternoon light was beginning to fade. He had already been thinking about returning to work once the break was over, so the call wasn’t unexpected.

"That’s fine. I was actually planning to come in tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? Monday?"

"Yes. I should be at the office in the morning."

"Alright, that works. We can arrange the meeting and get everyone together. Wayne will definitely want to hear about the album, and I’m sure Alice will have a few questions about the plans for its release."

"That’s fine. We can discuss everything when I get there. For now, just let everyone know I’ll be coming in."

"Alright, Dayo. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday. We’ll see you tomorrow."

"Thanks, Valerie. See you."

He ended the call and placed his phone back on the table. Luna, who had been sitting nearby, looked towards him.

"Was that Valerie?"

"Yeah. She wanted to know how the songwriting was going and told me there’s an important meeting at the office."

"So you’re going back tomorrow?"

Dayo nodded. "Yes. I’ve had my break, and I think I’m ready to get back to work."

Luna smiled. "Good. At least you’ll have something else to keep you busy now."

He gave her a look. "Are you trying to get rid of me already?"

"Not at all. I’m just saying you’ve been home all week, and I’m sure the office has missed you."

"Well, they’ll have to share me with you."

Before Luna could respond, Jennifer came into the sitting room carrying one of her toys. She walked straight towards Dayo and held it up, asking him to play with her. He looked at the toy, then at Luna, before shifting on the sofa to make room for his daughter.

"Come here, sweetheart. Let’s play."

Jennifer climbed beside him, pleased that he hadn’t forgotten their agreement. Luna watched them settle down together before returning her attention to what she had been doing.

Dayo picked up the toy and joined Jennifer in her game, giving her his attention as the afternoon continued. Tomorrow would bring meetings, decisions and the responsibilities he had left waiting at JD Records, but for the rest of Sunday, he had no reason to think about any of them.