How do you know if your boyfriend has really fallen hard for you? It’s not in the way he texts you every morning just so his message is the first thing you see when you wake up or in the way he enthusiastically goes down on you sometimes without even expecting a blow job in return. If he’s truly in love with you, he won’t mind doing these things, no matter how awkward or uncomfortable they might make him feel:
- Let you leave the bathroom door open. If you’re in the middle of a story, why should you stop mid-sentence just because you have to pee? You know a guy loves you when he doesn’t judge you for keeping the door wide open when you’re taking care of business. It means your relationship has reached a whole new level of comfort — be proud of that!
- Run your intimate errands. If he doesn’t care about buying your makeup from Sephora, going to Nordstrom to exchange your sports bra for a smaller size or grabbing a box of tampons on his way home from work, that’s just more proof that chivalry isn’t dead. A real man is mature enough and cares enough about you not to be embarrassed by “lady stuff.”
- Spend time with your bickering family. Families can be DRAMA — I know mine is. It can be uncomfortable meeting the family, especially if that family consists of a bunch of crazies. Sure, everyone has an eccentric aunt, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to be around other people’s. You know he loves you if he not only spends time with your family, but does it with a smile on his face (even if that smile is mostly forced).
- Pick up your prescriptions. This may not sound like a big one, but trust me, it is! Whether he’s grabbing your birth control, anti-depressants or even tablets for toenail fungus or IBS, a guy who loves you will wait at the Walgreen’s pharmacy for an hour just to make sure you get your meds when you need them. He’s a keeper.
- Wash your dirty underwear. Not only does he wash and fold your clothes, but he does it without having to be asked. Some guys might be uncomfortable folding your undergarments and putting them away, but not a man in love. Nothing should be too awkward or uncomfortable if he really cares. If he can take your bra and underwear off you, he can damn well throw them in the washer.
- Listen to the sordid details of your gynecologist appointment. “Well, babe… first, I had to put my feet in these stirrups and then I had to spread my legs while she put this FREEZING metal clamp in my vagina to take a swab. Oh, and I had to take a pregnancy test… turns out, we’re good!” If he hasn’t lost consciousness after this story, he deserves a round of applause. A guy in love will patiently listen while you explain anything! Whether it’s a detailed account of a pelvic exam or a story about the broad who cut you off on the highway — he cares, so he’ll listen.
- Take care of you when you’re sick. Whether it’s the flu, a hangover or menstrual pains — we’re not usually at our best when we’re sick. Your hair becomes a frizzy mess and you suddenly forget what personal hygiene even is. A guy in love will take care of you during these trying times. He’ll be the one pulling back your hair when you’re vomiting the contents of your stomach up repeatedly — that’s a kind of love you should hold on to!
- Hang out with you and your ex. Some people remain close friends with their exes — there’s nothing necessarily wrong with that, but it can be incredibly awkward for a guy to hang out with someone his girlfriend used to have sex with. Makes sense! The three of you are at dinner, and suddenly your ex brings up a past inside joke — acca- awkward! Of course your boyfriend is uncomfortable, but he deals with the awkwardness because he loves you (and for some reason, you want to deal with the awkwardness too).Â
- Hold your purse for you. It’s already a hassle to get guys to go shopping with us in the first place, but if you manage to drag him along by some miracle, that’s when the real fun begins. You can tell he really loves you when you hand him your purse so you can try on clothes and he takes it without flinching in disgust. Granted, he probably won’t be all that happy about it, but if he does it, you know he’s really into you.
