Jud

Laurey let him in. She didn't comment on how disheveled he looked, which was somehow more embarrassing than if she'd chastised him like a wife was supposed to. She acted disinterested, like he was just a hired hand again, and it didn't matter if he showed up dirty and drunk. Only difference was that now he sat at the head of the table.

"Saw you makin' them gooseberry tarts earlier" he chose his words carefully, determined not to slur them. "Those're good. Don't make 'em too often."

"Sorry, they were just for us." It took him a moment to realize that in Laurey's mind, 'us' now meant 'me and Aunt Eller' not 'me and you', like it had just a few weeks ago. "Took the rest to Ado Annie and Will. I can make you some later if you want." She made the offer, sweet as anything, but they both knew he'd never dare to actually take her up on it; he knew better than to ever push her. If he did ask her to make him some tarts, she'd probably spit in them or worse, and while he'd deserve it, that wasn't a risk he was willing to take.

"Oh" he slouched low in his chair. He wanted to ask her how Ado Annie was doing, especially since her pregnancy had gone on at least a week longer than it should have, but he knew Laurey wouldn't give him any kind of answer, would just say something sharp.

He could hardly ask her anything anymore, had to wait for her to bring up gossip to Aunt Eller, or overhear the two of them around the farmhouse. Not like it was before, when she would share everything with him first.

So he listened to her talk to Aunt Eller about the weather and how the crops were doing. There was nothing real, nothing about Ado Annie's baby or who was going to take whom to the social in a month or two. They probably talked about all that when he was out in the fields making them money.

"C'mon, Jud, don't feed the cat scraps like that. He's started beggin' all the time now."

He wanted to remind her that it was still his house, his food, and his cat, but he refrained, just gave the disappointed Sunny a scratch between the ears, grateful there was one thing in the house that cared for him. He cleared his plate, then put a hand on Laurey's shoulder, trying to ignore the fact that she didn't lean into him the way she always had before.

"I'll be waitin' upstairs, alright darlin'?"

"All right." Her response was short and quick, but not unfriendly. She was good at that, acting like she was distracted by other things. He lightly ran his fingers through her hair as a reminder that he was still her husband, no matter how much she ignored him.

"Jud, you'll muss me up."

"We're just goin' to bed" he reminded her, heedless of the fact that Aunt Eller was right there.

"I just washed my hair, and your hands'r probably dirty. So just…don't, alright?"

"Alright." He ostentatiously shoved his hands in his pockets before walking up the stairs. Not holding onto the rail was a mistake, and he stumbled a little.

"You okay?" Laurey couldn't keep the giggle out of her voice.

"Yeah, 'm just fine."