Chapter Text
"Miss Roberts, or-- Missus Marston. Listen, I--" Sadie hesitated. "I don't wanna be a home-wrecker." She glanced nervously around.
"Sadie, you're family. You bein' a part of this... It just feels, I dunno. Natural ," Abigail said, trying not to let the desperation bleed into her tone. She took her hand in hers, and breathed deeply. "It would mean the world to me."
Sadie’s gaze settled on the soft hand clasped around hers. Focused on it. "I dunno, Abby. I'll... I'll think about it, alright?"
Abigail quelled the hot flare of impatience at the words, instead letting understanding bleed into her expression. "Course." She let go of her hand, let her own fall into her lap. The worn fabric of her dress was soft under her fingertips. Her skin felt cold without Sadie. "I ain't tryin' to push anything on you, just... I'm always here for you, alright?"
Sadie nodded at that. Of course she knew. God, all the times she'd told her, and Sadie had believed it with every fibre of her being. All the times she'd kept her head in a firefight just because she knew Abigail would worry if she didn't come riding up to visit, all the times she tried to stay away for good, only to come back time and time again. All the nights she'd spent imagining Abigail's hands moving against her body, wishing they weren't her own. Hating herself for wanting a married woman. A thought struck her suddenly. "How long you been... Wantin' t' ask me?" Thought better of it. "Ah shit, don't answer that, I don't-- don't wanna pry."
Abigail smiled. Couldn't stop the heat rising in her cheeks as she thought about it. "Hell, I ain't sure. Long time though, at least."
Sadie wasn't really sure what to follow that up with. "Al-- alright then. I'll uhh... I'll think about it, okay?"
Abigail nodded, let her guard down enough to be hopeful as Sadie stepped off the porch and walked down the front path, and turned past the house. She watched her go and took a deep breath, steadied the shaking in her hands.
Abigail didn't see Sadie riding up to the house for another three weeks.
Three weeks of immersing herself in work and chores as much as she could, filling the space in her head with tasks and leaving no room for loneliness, for longing. Three weeks of John being visibly bored with the routine and Jack just outright hating it. She put her head down and worked through all of it, and at the end of every day, she'd fall into bed with John, exhausted, sore, hands raw and aching, and she'd sleep.
Sometimes she'd dream, but she couldn't remember a lick of it as soon as she opened her eyes. Most nights though, her sleep was deep and dreamless.
By the end of those three weeks, she was almost certain that she'd scared Sadie away for good. The assumption settled heavily in her gut. Tried not to even think about it, because, well... She wasn't sure what she'd do if she had to face the fact.
Her sleep was troubled those nights. John tried his best to console her, but he was just as heartsick for his friend as she was.
Then one day, there she was. Riding up on that beast of a horse, Hera, casual as anything. Abigail could've jumped for joy, collapsed in relief, punched Sadie in the face as she drew near and dismounted, but she only ended up with a grin on her lips.
"Mrs. Marston," Sadie greeted with an identical little lopsided smile.
"Sadie Adler. Thought I'd scared you off for good."
Sadie scratched the back of her neck, looking sheepish. "Yeah well... I had a lot to think about."
Abigail's smile faltered a little. "And have you..?" She stepped a fraction closer.
Sadie took her hat off and looked down. She inhaled, opened her mouth to speak--
"Mrs. Adler!" John's greeting broke the tension. They looked over in unison as John walked quickly from the barn, looking just as happy to see Sadie as ever. Abigail glared at him, but he advanced regardless. Sadie just looked bemused, and she put her hat back on. "Well if it ain't John Marston!"
“How the hell‘ve you been, we ain’t seen you in weeks!” John asked, enthusiastically shaking Sadie’s hand.
“Oh, well enough. Work takes me all over,” Sadie replied with a polite smile. She turned back to Abigail expectantly.
"Have you..?"
Abigail nodded. "I told him how I felt, 'fore I even told you." She met John's eyes, then turned back to her. "We ain't... We ain't exactly a normal couple, Sadie. That much should be obvious."
Sadie snickered at that. She fiddled nervously with her braid, eyes fixed on her boots. John stepped forward tentatively.
"Abby told me... At least, sort of."
Sadie looked up stiffly. "Wha'dyou think?"
"Hell, Sadie... I don't think I see a thing wrong with it." He brings Abigail in closer by the waist. "You make my wife happy. You're a good friend, and hell, you're ten times better'n most men I know. Plus, Jack... He's real fond of ya."
Sadie wiped the corner of her eye on the back of her sleeve. "Shit, John, 'f I'd known you'd have a list prepared I'd've come sooner." She straightened up then, leaned back on the railing of the porch. "I-- I meant to say, before, that I remember all you did for me when I was grieving my Jake. Reckon I'd taken a shine to you nearabouts the time I pulled my head outta my ass at Clemen's Point all those years back."
Abigail gripped John's shoulder. "You really..?"
"You were spoken for, more or less! I may look like a rough man but I don't make a habit of hittn' on married women." That earned a laugh out of all three of them.
"But seriously though, you given much thought to sticking around?" John asked after a moment.
"I have."
"...And?"
"I think I will. As much as I love to roam, I've had enough runnin' away to last me a lifetime."
Abigail nearly sobbed, the grin that split her face absolutely infectious. John's face mirrored the smile on Sadie's.
She opened her arms wide. "C'mere, you."
Abigail closed the distance in two strides, threw her arms around her shoulders and pressed her chest to Sadie's. Sadie stumbled with the impact, but returned the hug just as tightly, breathing in the scent of sweat and straw and soap that clung to Abigail's hair. Her eyes squeezed shut for just a moment, heart fluttering and breath short.
"God I love you," Abigail murmured into her coat.
Sadie pried the woman away from her near stranglehold just to look at the gleam in her eyes. "Love you too, Abigail." And she kissed her, hard.