Too Good for this World by LK Chapman Page B

mum could open her mouth
again, she ran from the room.

2008
    Twenty one was
young to get married. That was what everyone said. They’d only just
finished university; Imogen was going to train to be an English
teacher, and Jonny was determined to get a job campaigning or
raising funds for a charity. He hadn’t decided which one- he
supported many different causes, and would be happy to work for any
of them, just so long as it was a charity. That was apparently the
only employer he would consider, since he refused to work in the
private sector or for the government. Strangely, while he looked
for his ideal job, he had no hesitation getting paid for waiting
tables in a restaurant. ‘Money isn’t really real,’ he said.
‘Sometimes you have to play the game, but if you don’t use it the
way they want you to, then you’re still following your own
rules.’
    Two weeks
before the wedding they went camping, even though there was still
lots of planning to be done and they could barely spare the time.
They sat outside their tent while the stars came out and Imogen
said, ‘do you think we’re too young to get married?’ She didn’t
look at Jonny and made a show of stretching out her legs and
seeming casual.
    ‘No,’ he said.
‘Do you?’
    ‘Other people
think we are.’
    Jonny laughed.
‘Other people can say what they want. I know my own mind. Don’t
you?’
    Imogen smiled.
‘I guess,’ she said, ‘but not the way you know yours.’
    ‘Why do people
think we’re too young?’
    Imogen waggled
her toes in the cool breeze. It was getting a bit chilly to still
be outside in shorts. She began to wish she hadn’t brought this
up.
    ‘I don’t
know,’ she said, ‘but… people say you should have fun while you’re
young, don’t they? That you should… you know… have lots of
different experiences…’
    ‘You mean fuck
lots of different people?’ Jonny asked.
    Imogen’s
cheeks turned pink. ‘I’m not saying I want to-’
    ‘People are
obsessed with things being new,’ Jonny said, ‘if you only care
about being with someone new all the time you’re never going to be
happy, because new things don’t stay new. I’m not interested in
having sex with anyone else now I’ve found you.’
    Imogen nodded.
She felt awful for starting this conversation. She felt she’d let
Jonny down, and it wasn’t that she was even genuinely worried,
people’s attitudes just confused her, that was all.
    Jonny gave her
a one-armed hug. He didn’t seem to be angry. ‘Surely you don’t
think we’ve already done everything together that we’re going to
do?’ he said, giving her a squeeze, ‘believe me, we’ve barely even
started yet.’
    Imogen
snuggled against his shoulder. She wasn’t sure if he was talking
exclusively about sex now or about their lives in general, but it
didn’t really matter. Either way, she knew he was right, and she
couldn’t wait for the rest of their lives to begin.

2015
    Imogen slammed
her bedroom door, but her mum followed her upstairs anyway and even
though Imogen told her to go away she came inside.
    ‘Gennie,’ she
said gently, ‘I’m sorry if I upset you.’
    Imogen sat
down on her bed, and her mum sat beside her.
    ‘The longer
you leave things, the harder it will get,’ her mum said.
    ‘I don’t
care.’
    Her mum gave
her a reproachful look. ‘I know Jonny’s death is still very raw to
you,’ she said matter-of-factly, ‘but there’s only so long you can
hide away.’
    Imogen drew
her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them. She wanted
to be left alone. That’s all she ever wanted. ‘You knew Jonny,’ she
said, ‘you knew what he was like. How could I ever find somebody
else like him? How could you even suggest that I try?’
    ‘Why don’t I
show you the website I found?’ her mum asked, ‘you don’t need to do
anything today, just have a look. I’m sure it would be good for
you. I was thinking just before the woman came into the shop and
told me about