My Ford Noel and Sadhana Singh take a selfie at Reagan National Airport in February. My Ford moved to Canada first and was given permission to visit Sadhana and help her pack. (Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post)

They packed their life into a U-Haul, piece by piece, all they would take with them on a journey where they would leave so much behind.

In went the Virginia marriage license for Sadhana Singh and My Ford Noel. The license was one of the only official forms the Alexandria couple owned on which they were not identified as “alien” or “temporary.” In marriage they were just two people in love, calling each other “baby” in public, texting too many heart emoji, picking out the names for the children they didn’t yet have.            Continue reading