1. They have fun together. Their relationship isn’t based entirely on sex — or even romance. They don’t need to spend their weekends eating over candlelit dinners or watching mushy romantic comedies. They’re able to have a good time together, no matter what the day has in store for them. It doesn’t matter whether they’re doing mundane activities like shopping for groceries or folding laundry or cooking dinner. They’re still going to end up making each other laugh. They’re still going to end up having a good time.

2. They are completely comfortable together. There are some couples who hide their true selves because they’re worried about scaring the other person away. But when you’re dating your best friend, you feel like you can be your weirdest selves around each other. You’re not worried about looking awkward. You’re not worried about saying the wrong thing. You’re 100% authentic 100% of the time because you trust your person to love you as you are.

3. They can have long, intense, intellectual conversations – and silly ones. They never run out of things to talk about because they tell each other everything. They’re either having a serious conversation about the state of the country or they’re coming up with the most ridiculous, hypothetical questions about aliens and zombie invasions. They can talk about everything and anything. Their conversations never end. Their texting never stops.

4. They make sense together. They have a lot in common. They enjoy spending time together. And they know how to make each other smile, even at the worst of times. Most strangers who see them together assume they’re still in the puppy love phase of their relationship, even when they’ve been dating for decades, simply because of how happy they look. They bring out the light in each other. They bring out the excitement in each other. They bring out the best sides of each other.

5. They actually like each other. There are couples who swear they are madly in love with each other – but don’t actually like each other when it comes down to specifics. They might have wildly different tastes in music or shows, so they’re never able to agree on concerts or movie tickets. Or they might hate each other’s friends, so they’re never able to go out together and have a fun time. But when you’re in a relationship with your best friend, you like each other for more than looks. You like each other’s hearts and souls. And you probably like each other’s friends too.

6. They recognize how lucky they are. They’ve found their soulmate. And they’ve found their best friend. Finding one is lucky. Finding both feels a bit like a miracle. That’s why they never take each other for granted. They never disrespect each other. They never push the other away. They realize if their relationship ended, they wouldn’t just be losing someone to cuddle and kiss. They would be losing their best friend in the world. And they would never let that happen.