Affection. Appreciation. Communication. Lots of it. The heart of a relationship is in the details.

It's not the house you live in or the car you drive. It's holding hands, stolen kisses, meeting at lunch for a nooner, putting the Christmas presents together over a bottle of wine, laughing over that old joke that's still funny but not really, appreciating how he hates beards but will sometimes grow one for you anyway, letting them have their way when it's not that important to you - knowing that they'd do the same for you. It's picking up a prescription for them because you're closer or it's on the way home. It's rolling up their windows or getting something from their car for them because you know right at that moment they want to be lazy. It's asking them if they need anything from the kitchen since you're going that way. It's making them breakfast in bed to help jumpstart their hangover recovery. It's sitting on the beach next to each other, silent, as you watch the waves roll in. It's the waggling eyebrows as you say something ridiculously flirty.

It's building the same future together. It's working as a team to reach your goals and set the next one.

It's not taking each other for granted.