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Unexpected ending to a strange love affair

On Friday, Mary Kay Letourneau entered the world of happily legal wedded bliss with her paramour, her former sixth grade student, the father of her two youngest children, Vili Fualaau.   Mary Kay's friend, attorney David Gehrke, joined “The Abrams Report” hours before he headed to the Letourneau-Fualaau wedding. Here is a transcript of that interview:
Mary Kay LeTourneau And Vili Fualaau Spend Time At Beach House
Mary Kay Letourneau, 43, and Vili Fualaau, 22, are seen with one of their daughters at their beachfront home May 7, 2005 in the Seattle suburb of Normandy Park, Washington. Ron Wurzer / Getty Images file

On Friday, Mary Kay Letourneau entered the world of happily legal wedded bliss with her paramour, her former sixth grade student, the father of her two youngest children, Vili Fualaau. 

Mary Kay, now 43, served seven and a half years in prison after she was convicted of raping Vili, who is now 22. She was released last August, has been busy planning the wedding ever since. Over 200 guests were expected to attend.

The couple was registered— after all they do have a house to fill and apparently they have some expensive taste. There is the $345 salt and peppershakers from Tiffany, the two Tommy Hilfiger twin bed sets from Macy's, presumably for Mary Kay and Vili's daughters, Audrey and Alexis. There is also the always-necessary Williams-Sonoma French crepe pan.

Mary Kay's friend, attorney David Gehrke, joined “The Abrams Report” hours before he headed to the Letourneau-Fualaau wedding. Below is a transcript of that interview:

DAN ABRAMS, HOST, 'THE ABRAMS REPORT': David, this whole thing is kind of weird, right?  I mean going to their wedding? 

DAVID GEHRKE, MARY KAY LETOURNEAU'S FRIEND:  The whole thing is unusual.  Going to the wedding is sort of like the highlight of it, after the tears, the cheers, the tears again, as she re-offended, the joy.  In fact, I think we were with you in New York last summer when we found out the no-contact order was being lifted.  This is sort of like the culmination of a long-term mystery… “What is going to happen?”  Now we know.  We're going to go to the second chapter starting tomorrow. 

ABRAMS:  Are you confident about this?  I mean if someone, let's say Mary Kay came to you and she said, "This is crazy, David."  You know, apart from the “having sex with your 12-year-old student” is crazy.  But if she was to say to you, "I'm going forward with this wedding.  I shouldn't do this, should I?"  What would you say to her?

GEHRKE:  You know, you look at our high school friends, our college friends, our current friends that are married for a month, a year, two years, a little trouble, they get divorced, they can't tough it out.  Mary spent 18 months in solitary during her prison time, because she wanted to be in touch with Vili.  Vili would forego a lot of opportunity because he wanted to wait for Mary. 

They have been through the hard times because of their love and devotion to each other.  Is that weird?  Nowadays it is.  Most people get divorced as soon as there is any hardship. 

I do want to say today is my 15th wedding anniversary. I know what it takes to be married for a while. It takes a lot of hard work, love and dedication. Susan, I love you. Thank you for sticking by me. She's worked a lot harder than I have at it.

ABRAMS:  Good for her. But you weren't 12 when you met her, were you? 

GEHRKE:  No, not chronologically.  But I've certainly been a lot more immature than she was over the years.  These guys have been through the hardship and I think they've shown that they can tough it out...  I've seen these people together since they have been out. I've seen them quite a bit. I've seen them at barbecues.  hey are in love. They are dedicated to each other. And it is strange. If anyone had told me seven and a half years ago they were going to end up here, I would have said, "No, never happen."

But it is not that weird now, when you track the course of the case, when you've seen them together over the last six, seven months... It almost makes sense and that is hard to believe.

ABRAMS:  As you know, I had lunch with Vili. It is hard to believe, even for those of us on the outside. What did you get them for the wedding? 

GEHRKE:  A telescope. They've got this nice little place on the beach and there's always things to look at. We figure, the little girls are there and they can watch the ships go by, and there's eagles that fly by. 

ABRAMS:  All right. David Gehrke, come on back after the wedding. Be interesting to hear how it went.  hanks. 

GEHRKE:  I'm sure it will be interesting and I hope I can come back. There is supposedly a confidentiality agreement that we all have to sign... 

ABRAMS: The whole thing is a Pay-Per-View event.

GEHRKE: Right.

'The Abrams Report' airs weeknights, 6 p.m. ET on MSNBC TV.