Chapter 688: A family surprise

Dinner was almost over at Abisola and Jason's house when Dayo's name came up.

The family had gathered around the dining table, enjoying a quiet evening together after another busy day. Abisola had spent most of the afternoon at the restaurant, while Jason had stayed behind to handle a few things before closing. The business had improved considerably since Dayo helped them make changes, and although running it still required plenty of work, they were in a much better position than before.

Jeffrey had also returned from training earlier that evening. His swimming schedule had kept him occupied lately, with competitions and preparations for upcoming events taking much of his time. Janet, meanwhile, had been talking about what she was learning in her acting classes, explaining something she had recently been practising to her father.

Jason listened while finishing his food, occasionally asking her questions about the lessons. Abisola was pleased that her daughter was taking her interests seriously, although she reminded her not to neglect the other things she had to do.

When the conversation settled, Abisola reached for her glass of water and looked around the table.

"Have any of you heard from Dayo recently?"

Jeffrey looked up from his plate. "I spoke to him some time ago, but we haven't really talked properly since then."

"Same here," Janet added. "I sent him a message a few days ago, but I don't think we had a proper conversation."

Jason put down his cutlery. "I haven't spoken to him either. He's probably busy."

Abisola looked at her husband. "Busy or not, he normally calls. Even if he has work, he will find time to ask how we're doing. Lately, I've hardly heard anything from him."

Jason considered that for a moment. Their son had moved out a long time ago, but he had never allowed the distance to affect how often he kept in touch. Dayo could spend an entire day working and still call his mother before going to bed. Sometimes he would call simply to ask whether they had eaten or whether anything was needed at the house.

It was unusual for him to remain quiet for so long.

"You're right," Jason said. "It's been a while."

Abisola glanced toward Janet, who was already reaching for her phone. "Have you tried calling him?"

"I have, but I haven't spoken to him properly."

"Then we should go and see him."

Jeffrey looked at his mother. "Tomorrow?"

"Yes. Why should we keep waiting for him to call? We can surprise him." Abisola smiled as she thought about her granddaughter. "I miss my baby. It's been too long since I saw Jennifer."

Jason chuckled quietly. "You miss Jennifer more than you miss your son."

"Of course I miss my son," Abisola replied, giving him a look. "But that little girl is my granddaughter. I want to see her."

Janet laughed, agreeing with her mother. "We should go. I miss Jennifer too. It's been a while since I saw her."

Jeffrey was also in favour of the idea. He had been occupied with training and competitions, but he would make time to visit his brother. Jason finally agreed that they could all go together, and Abisola immediately began thinking about what they should take along.

"Let's buy a few things for Jennifer tomorrow," she said. "We shouldn't arrive empty-handed."

"She's not going to finish everything you buy," Jason reminded her.

"That doesn't mean I shouldn't buy anything."

The conversation continued for a little while, with everyone discussing what time they should leave and how they would arrange the visit. Dayo had no idea that his family was already making plans to see him.

The following morning, Abisola was up earlier than usual.

She had already started making arrangements before Jason came downstairs. A few things for Jennifer had been selected, and she was still considering whether there was anything else she wanted to take along.

Jason found her checking through the items and shook his head.

"Abisola, how many things are you planning to buy for one child?"

She looked at him without much interest. "Have you seen your granddaughter recently? Do you know how much she has grown?"

"Yes, I've seen her."

"Then leave me alone. I know what I'm doing."

Jason smiled and went to get ready. Jeffrey and Janet were also preparing for the visit, and by the time everyone was ready, they had gathered everything they intended to take.

The journey to Dayo's house was filled with ordinary family conversation. Janet spoke about her acting lessons, Jeffrey mentioned his training schedule, and Abisola occasionally returned to the subject of Jennifer. She was looking forward to seeing the little girl, especially since she had not spent much time with her recently.

Dayo, on the other hand, had no idea they were coming.

His morning had been relatively quiet. He had spent some time reviewing a few things and trying to organise his thoughts. Although the situation with Michael and Silas had moved forward, he knew there was still a lot to be settled before he could put the matter behind him.

His conversations with Luna had improved slightly, which was something he was grateful for. They were no longer arguing the way they had before, but she had not returned home with Jennifer. She had made her position clear: until he dealt with Michael and Silas, he should not expect her to come back.

Dayo understood why she felt that way.

He was happy that they had begun speaking again, but the distance between them remained. There were still things he needed to put right, and he knew that simply apologising would not be enough.

The sound of the doorbell interrupted his thoughts.

He wasn't expecting anyone, so he walked over and opened the door without much consideration.

"Surprise!"

Dayo stared at the people standing outside before a wide smile appeared on his face.

"Mum? Dad? What are you all doing here?"

Abisola laughed as she stepped forward to embrace him. "Must we book an appointment before visiting our own son?"

"No, Mum. I didn't say that." Dayo hugged her properly before greeting his father and siblings. "I just wasn't expecting anybody today."

"That's why we didn't tell you," Janet replied, entering behind their mother.

Jeffrey greeted him with a smile, while Jason shook his hand before pulling him into a brief embrace. Dayo was genuinely happy to see them. He helped bring the things they had carried inside, then directed everyone toward the sitting room.

Abisola immediately asked about Jennifer.

"Where is my baby? I brought some things for her."

Dayo smiled. "She's fine, Mum. She's doing well."

"Then where is she?"

"She's with Luna."

Abisola looked at him. "You didn't bring them here today?"

"No. They're staying somewhere else for now."

The answer was enough to make her curious, but she decided not to question him immediately. Instead, she settled down and allowed the others to get comfortable.

For the next few minutes, the conversation was pleasant. Jason asked about Dayo's work, Jeffrey spoke about his training, and Janet told her brother about what she had been learning. Dayo listened to them with interest, asking questions and encouraging Janet to keep working toward what she wanted.

He had missed this.

Lately, so much of his attention had been consumed by the problems surrounding Michael and Silas. Even after Jennifer was rescued, the consequences had continued to affect his relationship with Luna and the way he approached everything around him. Seeing his family sitting in his house, talking about their lives as though nothing had changed, gave him a chance to relax.

Abisola eventually looked around the room and asked, "By the way, where is Luna? I haven't seen her in a while."

Janet joined in almost immediately. "That's what I wanted to ask. Where is she? And where is Jennifer? I thought we would see both of them when we came."

Dayo's smile faded slightly.

Jason noticed the change before anyone else. He had been watching his son since they arrived, and something about the way Dayo answered that question made him pay closer attention.

"Dayo, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, Dad."

Jason did not accept the answer. "Then why did your expression change? You said they're somewhere else. Where exactly are they?"

Dayo looked at his father, then at the rest of the family. He had hoped to enjoy the visit without having to explain everything, but he knew he could not keep avoiding the subject.

"Luna and Jennifer are staying with her parents."

Abisola looked confused. "Her parents? Why? Did something happen?"

Dayo rubbed his palms together before answering. "There's something I need to tell you all."

The room became quiet.

He began explaining what had happened, starting with the problems that had led to the kidnapping. He told them about the threats, the people involved and how Jennifer had been taken from their home. He explained that the kidnappers had demanded money, that he had paid what they initially requested, and that another demand had followed.

As he continued, the expressions around the room changed.

Abisola was no longer thinking about the things she had brought for Jennifer. Janet had stopped speaking, while Jeffrey sat quietly, trying to understand everything his brother was telling them.

Dayo went on to explain how he had eventually located the people holding Jennifer and managed to rescue her. He told them that she was safe now and that she had not been left with the kidnappers.

Jason listened without interrupting, but his expression had become increasingly serious.

When Dayo finally finished, his father leaned forward.

"What?"

Dayo looked at him.

"All of this happened, and you couldn't tell me?"

"Dad, I..."

"What do you mean you couldn't tell me?" Jason interrupted. "Someone took your daughter, and you went through all of this without telling your family? You didn't think to call me?"

Dayo tried to explain. "I didn't want to involve you or Mum. There were threats, and I didn't know how far these people were willing to go. I thought it would be better if I handled it without bringing everyone else into the situation."

Jason looked at him in disbelief.

"What do you mean you didn't want to involve us? I'm your father, Dayo. I'm your family. You think keeping something like this from us is the right way to protect us?"

His military background made the situation even more difficult for him to accept. He understood that there were circumstances where a person had to make difficult decisions, but he could not understand why his own son had decided to face something so serious without telling him.

"I could have done something," Jason continued. "You should have told me what was happening. At least I would have known what you were dealing with."

Dayo lowered his head slightly.

"I know, Dad. I should have told you."

"Should have?" Jason repeated. "Dayo, this isn't something small. Your daughter was taken. Do you understand what could have happened?"

"I do."

"Then why?"

Dayo had no answer that would satisfy him.

Abisola had been quiet for a while, but she could no longer keep her feelings to herself.

"How could you do this to us?" she asked, her voice carrying the hurt she had been trying to contain. "You were going through all of this, and we knew nothing. I was here thinking you were just busy with work. Meanwhile, someone had taken my granddaughter."

"Mum, I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what? Do you know how I feel hearing this now? What if something had happened to Jennifer? What if something had happened to you? How would we have known?"

She continued speaking, asking why he had not called and why he had thought it was better to keep the entire situation to himself. Her frustration was not only about the kidnapping. She was hurt that her son had been facing something so frightening while she remained unaware.

Dayo allowed her to speak.

He knew that trying to defend himself would only make things worse. He had believed that keeping his family away from the situation would protect them from unnecessary fear, but he could now see how deeply his decision had hurt them.

Janet was close to tears. She had been listening quietly, but the thought of someone taking Jennifer had become too much for her.

"Is she really okay?" she asked, looking directly at her brother. "Nothing happened to her?"

Dayo turned toward her. "She's fine, Janet. She's safe. She's with Luna, and she's doing well."

Janet wiped her eyes. "I was so scared when you told us. I can't believe someone actually did that."

Jeffrey was equally disturbed. He had not said much since the explanation began, but he was clearly unhappy with how everything had happened.

"Why didn't you tell us, bro? Even if you didn't want to worry everybody, you could have at least told Dad. We could have tried to help."

Dayo looked at him. "I know. I made that decision myself, and I was wrong."

Jason remained quiet for a moment, then leaned back in his chair. His anger had not disappeared, but he could see that Dayo understood the mistake he had made.

"Is Jennifer completely fine now?" he asked.

"Yes, Dad. She's fine."

"And Luna?"

Dayo took a little longer to answer.

"She's okay, but she's still upset about everything. She's staying with her parents for now."

Abisola looked at him. "And you two?"

Dayo understood what she was asking.

"We've started talking again. Things are better than they were, but we haven't settled everything."

"What does that mean?"

"It means she's still angry with me, Mum. I understand why. She wants me to finish dealing with Michael and Silas before she considers coming back."

Jason looked at his son. "And are you going to do that?"

"Yes, Dad. I'm already dealing with it. The investigations are moving forward, and both of them are facing the consequences of what they did."

Abisola listened carefully before looking toward her phone.

"Give me Luna's number. I want to speak with her."

Dayo took out his phone and passed it to her.

Luna was at her parents' house when Abisola's video call came through.

She looked at the screen and smiled when she saw the name.

"Mama!"

Abisola answered immediately. "My daughter, how are you?"

"I'm fine, Mama. How are you? It's been a while."

"That's exactly what I want to ask you. Have you forgotten that I exist?"

Luna laughed softly. "No, Mama. I haven't forgotten you."

"Then why didn't you tell me what happened?"

Luna's smile faded a little.

Abisola continued before she could answer. "Dayo has just told us everything. All this happened, and nobody thought to tell me?"

Luna looked down briefly before responding. "Mama, I wanted to tell you. Honestly, I did. But everything happened so quickly. Jennifer was taken, and I was trying to understand what was happening myself. There was so much going on between Dayo and me, and I didn't really know how to explain everything."

Abisola listened without interrupting.

"I understand," she eventually said. "I know you must have gone through a lot. I heard something about what happened between you and Dayo too. I'm not going to tell you what to do about your relationship. You are both adults, and I'm sure you can settle your issues between yourselves. I just want to know how my granddaughter is doing."

Luna's expression softened.

"She's fine, Mama. She's doing very well."

"Can I see her?"

"Of course."

Luna turned the phone toward Jennifer, who was nearby. The little girl noticed the screen and began making sounds, moving her hands as she tried to get closer to it.

"Look at you!" Abisola exclaimed, smiling at the sight of her granddaughter. "Jennifer, it's Grandma. Do you remember Grandma?"

Jennifer responded with more baby sounds and a small wave of her hand.

Janet, who had been standing close to her mother, moved nearer to the phone. Jeffrey also came over, and Jason watched from beside them.

"Let me see her properly," Janet said.

Luna adjusted the phone so they could all see Jennifer. She was happy to see them, even though she had not expected the call. The family greeted her through the screen, and Abisola kept talking to her granddaughter as though Jennifer could understand every word.

"She's grown so much," Abisola said. "I've missed her."

"She misses you too, Mama."

"Tell her Grandma is coming to see her soon. I have things for her."

Luna laughed. "You didn't have to buy anything."

"How can I come and see my granddaughter without bringing her something?"

The conversation continued for a few minutes, with Janet asking about Jennifer and Jeffrey greeting Luna. Eventually, Abisola brought the phone closer to herself.

"Luna, I want you to know that I'm not blaming you for anything. Whatever happened between you and Dayo, I hope you two can find a way to settle it. I don't want to interfere, but I also don't want either of you to carry everything alone."

Luna appreciated the words.

"Thank you, Mama. I know."

"Take care of yourself and my granddaughter. We'll come and see you soon."

"Okay, Mama. I'll be expecting you."

After the call ended, Abisola remained seated for a moment, looking at the phone.

Jason glanced at her. "At least we know they're fine."

"Yes, but I still can't believe all of this happened without us knowing."

He understood how she felt. They had not fully forgiven Dayo for keeping such an important matter from them, but they were beginning to understand that he had been trying to protect them from a situation he could barely control himself.

Dayo returned to the sitting room after getting everyone something to drink. He placed the drinks on the table and sat down.

Abisola looked at him again.

"You really should have told us."

"I know, Mum."

"Don't let this happen again. Whatever you're dealing with, you have a family. You don't have to pretend you can handle everything by yourself."

Dayo accepted her words without arguing.

Jason also reminded him that keeping them informed did not mean he had to share every detail of his work. There was a difference between privacy and hiding something that could affect the entire family.

Dayo understood what his father meant.

The conversation eventually moved away from the kidnapping, although it was clear that nobody had completely forgotten what they had heard. Jeffrey asked about the work Dayo had been doing, Janet returned to talking about her acting lessons, and Jason wanted to know more about the latest developments with the restaurant.

Dayo listened to everyone, answering their questions and asking about the things they had been doing. He was particularly interested in Jeffrey's upcoming competition and encouraged Janet to continue learning rather than rushing herself into anything.

As the afternoon went on, Abisola occasionally returned to Jennifer, asking when they would be able to see her properly. Dayo promised that they would arrange a visit, and she made it clear that she intended to hold him to that promise.

For the first time in several days, Dayo found himself enjoying an ordinary family afternoon without constantly thinking about the problems waiting for him.

The visit had not erased what happened, and his parents were still unhappy about his decision to keep everything from them. Nevertheless, he was glad they had come.

He had missed them.

More importantly, he had been reminded that there were people who cared about him beyond the work he did and the problems he was trying to solve. His parents and siblings had come simply because they missed him, and despite their anger, they were still there when he needed them.

The situation with Michael and Silas remained unresolved, and Luna was still waiting for him to finish what he had started. Dayo knew he could not ignore either responsibility.

But as he sat with his family that afternoon, listening to their conversations and watching his mother arrange the things she had brought for Jennifer, he felt a little more settled than he had in a long time.

He still had work to do, but at least he was no longer carrying the weight of the situation without his family knowing what had happened.