Soap's first super couple, Luke and Laura (Tony Geary and Genie Francis) had a wet beginning, when Luke jumped ship to escape his bride and mobster future father-in-law, Frank Smith, and took off with Laura to Love on the Run. Thirty million people watched them finally exchange vows in 1981, and their wedding remains the most watched event in soap opera history.
During their wedding, Helena Cassadine (then played by screen icon Elizabeth Taylor) put a curse on them. Despite two children, Lucky and Lulu, and much happiness, Helena's curse may have had some influence. At one time, the couple divorced; then Laura was catatonic for a long time. When she had a brief time of consciousness, she and Luke remarried. Unbeknownst to her, it wasn't valid. When Laura she regained consciousness permanently, she found out Luke is now married to Tracy Quartermaine!
For now, the couple has decided to stay separated and move on with lives going in different directions. Laura has since gone to France to seek treatment for her illness, to make sure that she stays fully awake this time. Luke remains with Tracy (Jane Elliott). It doesn't matter - Luke and Laura are each other's great loves, an important landmark in soap opera history, and they will remain so.
