I Am Not A Poor Daddy

25

With a smile on his lips, Sebastian began to feed Dinda again. Although she still winced a little because of the bland taste of the porridge, Dinda still obeyed and tried to finish her breakfast. While feeding Dinda, Sebastian spoke softly to her, telling funny stories about the things they did together when Dinda was younger.

 "Dad, do you still remember when we went to the park, and Dinda ran around with that big dog?" Dinda asked, suddenly remembering an old incident that made her eyes shine.

 Sebastian chuckled. "Remember. That dog likes Dinda, he didn't stop chasing you until we had to climb onto the park bench," he said, still remembering how funny and adorable that moment was.

 "Dad also climbed onto the bench, right?" Dinda giggled, remembering her Dad's surprised expression at that time.

 "Yeah, Dad was scared too at that time," Sebastian admitted jokingly, making Dinda laugh even more. They continued to laugh and share stories, enjoying every moment of their warm togetherness.

 After a few mouthfuls of porridge, Dinda finally gave in. "That's enough, Dad. I'll finish it later, as long as Dad really buys me pizza!"

 Sebastian looked at the bowl of porridge that still had some left but was more than half gone. He smiled and nodded. "Okay, deal. Pizza for Dinda after you get out of the hospital."

 Dinda smiled widely and held out her pinky finger once more. "Dad has to promise again!"

 Sebastian held out his pinky finger, sealing their promise for the third time. "Dad promises," he said softly, looking at Dinda lovingly.

  Sebastian knew that even though the challenges outside the hospital room were tough, as long as he had Dinda and his love for his sweet daughter, he would always have a reason to keep fighting. And the promise they made that day was a reminder that his love for Dinda would always be his greatest strength. 

 Sebastian had just finished feeding Dinda when the phone in his pocket vibrated, indicating an incoming call. He glanced at the screen and moved from Dinda's side to the window to answer the call. His voice changed to a more serious one as he began to speak, his voice slightly muffled so as not to disturb Dinda who was busy watching cartoons on the small TV in the hospital room. 

 While Sebastian was talking near the window, Sara entered the room. Her eyes immediately caught the phone that Sebastian had placed earlier in the corner of the room, which was still recording. Sara's face hardened seeing that. She walked quickly towards the phone, her eyes full of anger and annoyance. With a quick movement, she grabbed the phone, stared at it for a moment, and then seemed to intend to throw it to the floor. 

 Sebastian, who noticed Sara's quick movement from the corner of his eye, immediately ended the call quickly and approached with quick steps. Just before Sara could throw the phone, Sebastian caught her wrist. His voice was tense, almost angry, though he tried hard to keep it in.

 "Sara, what are you doing?" he asked in a low but warning tone. His hand on Sara's wrist was still tight, though he tried hard to remain calm.

 Sara stared at him with eyes burning with anger. "Why are you recording Dinda like this? Do you want to use it as a weapon against me in court? Do you think you can win custody just by recording some sweet moments with Dinda?" 

 Sebastian was silent for a moment, feeling his anger boiling, but he didn't want to explode in front of Dinda, who was still in the room. His breath was heavy as he held back his emotions. 

 "I recorded this for Dinda. Not for you, not for the court, and not for anything other than our togetherness." He released his grip from Sara's wrist slowly, although his eyes were still full of firmness. "Don't touch my phone again, Sara." 

 Sara stared at Sebastian sharply, pain and anger visible in her eyes. She felt defeated and felt her position was threatened, especially with Sebastian's presence in the hospital that should only be a place for her and Dinda. Sara didn't want to let Sebastian take away the happiness she had built, even though she knew that all of this was rooted in her own betrayal. 

  "Sebastian, you don't know anything about how it feels to take care of Dinda alone. Don't think you can come anytime and act like you're a hero," Sara said in a low tone, her voice biting. 

 Sebastian stared at her deeply, holding himself back from exploding in front of Dinda. "I will always be there for Dinda, Sara, whether you like it or not. And I will fight for her custody. This is not about you or me anymore. This is about Dinda, about her happiness." 

 Sara snorted, then looked at Sebastian with hatred. She glanced at Dinda who looked shocked by their fight. With a sly smile, Sara began to cry silently but she made sure Dinda saw it. Sebastian took a deep breath, calming himself down. 

 Seeing Dinda who looked confused at him from the bed, Sebastian felt his heart calm down a little. "Daddy will always be there for you, honey," he whispered softly, more to himself than to Dinda. 

 "No! I don't want to be with Daddy. Daddy has made Mommy cry! Daddy is mean!" 

 Sebastian was stunned to hear Dinda's sharp and hurtful words. Her heart felt crushed when she heard her daughter reject her presence. The deep pain pushed her to fight the tears that were about to well up in her eyes. Dinda, who was still a child, should not feel this pressure, the pressure between love and hatred, between her and Sara. 

 "No! I don't want to be with Daddy. Daddy has made Mommy cry! Daddy is mean!" Dinda shouted, her voice shaking with emotion. Trembling, she stared at Sebastian as if he were her most hated enemy. 

 "Honey, it's not like that. Mommy isn't crying because of me. Mommy... Mommy just feels tired," Sebastian tried to explain, but his voice stopped when Dinda looked at him with an unwilling gaze. Trembling, Dinda hugged Sara even tighter, as if to protect herself from Sebastian.