Most dating experiences aren’t simple journeys from your first meeting to a romantic engagement dinner. And many dates don’t have good communication habits, so their intentions and desires aren’t obvious.

It can be confusing trying to figure out where things are going or even if they’re going anywhere. So, what are the signs that your affair might have a future…and what might be the misinterpretations? And what are the promising signs of a future that you can really trust?

Here are six promising signs that your venture might have long-term potential:

1. You have long, deep conversations

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Having deep, meaningful conversations about your life is a great way to create emotional intimacy. And with the right personit can be a great start to a wonderful relationship. However, many dates desire this type of connection but aren’t emotionally available for anything more.

We had a client who was dating a recently separated man. They talked every day, shared lots of laughs, and had a great connection – but he never got things done. Instead, he used the situation to heal his broken heart from his divorce and to feel better about himself. He simply wasn’t emotionally available for deeper engagement.

A promising sign: you have succeeded in your first fight. It’s impossible to avoid conflicts and misunderstandings that arise when you spend time together. If one of you is ready to quit at the first hurdle, then things aren’t serious between the two of you.

However, if you both have a strong desire to clear things up, repair and reconnect, then the relationship has weight. Remember, conflict is inevitableand choosing to move past conflict and connect more deeply is a sign that an affair could become serious.

Couples who spend more time talking together report greater satisfaction and closeness in their relationships, according to a 2022 study.

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2. You text everyone extremely frequently

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Frequent texting may seem promising. You wake up to a good morning message and receive recordings throughout the day. It’s easy to assume that this person is hot for you, isn’t it? The problem with text communication is that it is very convenient and requires very little commitment.

You might like texting each other and having someone to share your day with, but because it requires very little energy, it’s not a reliable sign that a fling has a real future. It’s also very easy to fill in the blanks and set a tone for text communication. This means that you filter the text message by slanting it positively or negatively. Regardless, the communication itself is not received as expected.

A promising sign: you are open about your emotions. Sharing your feelings and not just your thoughts allows you both to be vulnerable.

When you openly share how you feel and express yourself authentically, things become more serious. Love requires risks and sharing how you feel can be scary. If you are both willing to take risks and talk about how you feel about each other, your relationship can become serious.

A 2015 study found that texting can complement traditional face-to-face communication and benefit relationships. For example, texting can allow people to stay connected while maintaining their autonomy.

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3. He showers you with attention and gifts

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Gifts and attention too early in the dating process could be a warning sign. Some men are strong because they don’t want to be alone. He may want to impress you and take you out of the deal, but if you don’t know each other yet, he may waste your time. He may not be the ideal partner for you.

Enjoy the attention and appreciate the gifts, but don’t mistake them for something more. It takes time to get to know if you are both compatible for the long term. There is no secret shortcut or crystal ball that will reveal how you will face challenges together.

A promising sign: You’re getting to know each other’s friends and family. In a casual relationship, you hang out and see each other at the last minute, when it’s convenient for you.

A clear sign that an adventure has a future is meeting friends or spending time with family. The desire to introduce yourself to those around you is a sure sign that the other person sees a future for both of you.

Keeping a relationship low-key or delaying introducing friends and family is a great way to keep things casual. This way, if nothing happens, you won’t have to explain to everyone what happened. The more involved you are in each other’s lives, the more serious the relationship.

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4. He invites you to trips and events

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If he invites you to the theater, to concerts, or weekend getaways enjoy your time together, but don’t assume he’s serious about you yet. Just because you spend a lot of time together doesn’t mean things are getting serious. You don’t want to just be his Plus One.

Maybe he just wants company. Be careful not to abandon your friends and your already planned plans to make room for his desires. There’s a big difference between a man who gets tickets to see your favorite band and one who invites you because he bought two tickets two months ago before you knew each other.

Don’t count the hours you spend together as proof of a future together, but instead pay attention to what happens over time.

A promising sign: he is making plans with you for the future. If he asks you out in advance, plans a vacation together in advance, or takes a trip that you plan together, then the relationship is becoming serious.

Casual relationships are about the present moment. When you start making longer-term plans, you might be able to have a future together.

Couples who do new, engaging, challenging and exciting things together while on vacation report higher romantic passion and physical intimacy after vacation, according to a recent study. study published in Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights. Self-expansion experiences occur in many ways and in situations that do not have to be complex, expensive, or complicated when novel, engaging, adventurous, romantic, and humorous experiences are enough.

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5. You feel jealous about seeing him with someone else

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Some people think that jealousy means their heart is invested. If you’re succumbing to the green-eyed monster — wondering who he’s with, who he’s texting, and worrying about his attractive co-worker — it’s more likely a sign of insecurity than a budding romance.

Jealousy means you are afraid you will lose love. If you come from fear, there is no room for love to flourish. Look through your relationship history to see if he is one of your patterns, and if not, you may discover that he has been hiding things from you and your intuition is perfect. Either way, feeling jealous isn’t a sign that things are getting more serious between the two of you.

A promising sign: you think about everyone’s happiness. Casual relationships are often marked by unbalanced dynamics. One person is interested in more and the other just wants it to be practical. Relationships are not always practical, they require compromise and compassion.

One of the signs that an affair may have a future is that you each think about the other’s happiness. You are both willing to hear each other’s point of view and change your behavior. In a casual relationship, you will move on when the relationship is no longer easy or convenient.

Jealousy can be a sign of a healthy relationship, as it can indicate a deep love for your partner and a desire to protect your union, according to a study from the University of Texas at Arlington. However, jealousy can also lead to anxiety, insecurity and lack of confidence.

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6. There is emotional and physical intimacy

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Off-the-charts chemistry at the start of a relationship will flood your body with feel-good hormones. So, keep your feet on the ground and keep a cool head – maybe it’s not true love.

Chemistry and attraction are necessary ingredients for a long-term relationship, but alone they do not indicate an ideal match for love to last. There are many factors to consider, the most important being that you share the same values ​​(which has nothing to do with being hot for each other).

A promising sign: There is emotional and physical intimacy. Do you delay physical intimacy until you feel a strong emotional connection? Do you both share dreams and goals so you can bond over them?

Emotional and physical intimacy is a crucial indicator of relationship success because it creates a deep sense of connection and trust between partners, allowing them to feel safe and supported, which ultimately contributes to greater satisfaction and relational stability. Essentially, couples feel more connected and fulfilled when both forms of intimacy are present, according to one study. study published by the American Psychological Association.

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Orna and Matthew Walters are soulmate coaches who have been guest experts on Bravo’s The Millionaire Matchmaker. These are the authors of the free ebook, 7 steps to finding a soul mate.