Still, the staggering distance between the couple takes a painful toll on both of them. Unable to do more to expedite her husband's case, Althaibani is burdened by a nagging guilt, along with the worry that they made the wrong decision — that Othman might have been able to find asylum in another country besides the United States, and, there, finally start over again. "It's like a rollercoaster ride. It's hard enough being in a long-distance relationship, but after the ban it feels like all the plans we'd made were smashed," she explains. "We want children, but we're not getting any younger. I know he loves me, but there's so much uncertainty about the future. Your life just stops, and the loneliness is so isolating. But no, I will never abandon him. He hasn't given up on me, so I'm not giving up on him."