SOLVED. Girl child brides wedded to older men in sci-fi-ish short story set in suburbs, girl escapes? [s]

[Ket]

I vaguely remember this short story. It may have been in a collection I read or may have been in an online literary journal. I read it no more than six years ago, but I do not know if it was published recently or not. I feel like it is no more than 20 years old.

The story is about a young girl. She spends time playing with a man - a friend of her parents - who visits the house. They play with her dolls and it all seems very innocent. She knows that her friends, who are also nine or ten, are being married off. The setting was almost American, but had something uncanny about it - it was sci-fi, maybe, like a science fiction alt-future suburb. She realizes the man who comes to play with her is going to marry her. She rebels. I think she runs away, or tries to run away...? This had something to do with fertility, I think. Or maybe it was disturbing because she does not run. Sorry I don't remember it better. I do have this distinct feeling that I "scrolled" through the story, but I do not own an e-reader, so it is very likely that it was in an online journal. It's not in my bookmarks. Thank you to anyone who can reunite me with this story - it was very compelling and I remember I wanted to share it with friends.

[Andy]

This is similar to Gardner Dozois's "Time Bride" but not quite exactly it - was there time travel in the story?

[Ket]

No. But this reminded me of more details! The parents know the man is coming to visit their child. It's just a playdate, no supernatural elements there. The parents have arranged the match - I think the man is wealthy. The girl talks with one of one of her friends in particular who is recently married, and there is a discussion of the marriage bed and the child bride sweeping the floor. The MC's friend stops coming over to play after she gets married.

I should emphasize how white-suburban-normal the setting is. That's what makes it seem like an alternate future - this practice of child brides in a presumably American suburban setting, for some kind of fertility or supernatural reason.

[Ket]

Remembering those extra details helped me finally find this short story: "Man and Wife" by Katie Chase.

http://www.missourireview.com/antholo...

Originally published in the Missouri Review, but also published in Best American Short Stories 2008. I'll shelve Best American because it doesn't look like Missouri Review Issue 30.2 is archived in Goodreads.



(Guess my mind ran away with the "why" for this story, because there is no mention of fertility or the supernatural or science fiction. Really happy to have found this story - I never expected it would stick with me like it did.)

[Kris]

Was shelved as The Best American Short Stories 2008, editor Salman Rushdie.