A Matter Of Hearts

An intimate look at the illicit affair that has pitted the vagaries of love against the unsentimentality of the law

Mary K. Letourneau sat on the steps in front of her home, staring west across a glorious sunset over Puget Sound. Inside with a friend was baby Audrey Lokelani, Mary's fifth child and her first with Vili Fualaau, the teenager she has become so infamous for loving. It was a breezy summer's eve, and she could smell the fresh-cut grass on her lawn. She squinted into a blazing horizon. "I had a dream last night," she said, speaking to a neighbor. "I dreamed I was sitting here watching the sunset. And I sat there and sat there, but the sun just...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!