ALEPPO, Syria — Twenty-three-year-old Louay was not alone on Valentine’s night, but he wasn’t with his girlfriend, either. He and some fellow enamored friends gathered by candlelight for an intimate evening. Louay arranged candles in the shape of the letter R and told his friends about the last time he saw his girlfriend, Rama. “It was a lovely day, despite the short time we spent together. I can still remember how her eyes were filled with hope. She admitted to her intense fear of being shot by snipers while crossing the Bustan al-Qasr crossing. Still, she rose above this fear to see me. … I miss her. I miss her madness and her gentle voice,” he said.
More than 13 months have passed since Louay and Rama's last meeting. In February 2014, regime forces closed the only crossing that connected the two parts of Aleppo — the eastern side under opposition control, and the western side under the regime. As a result, the city has been divided and families separated.