You still love each other. You also mostly talk about bins, bills and who's picking up the kids. Somewhere along the way the relationship became an operation that runs smoothly and feels like nothing.
Roommate drift happens to almost every long relationship. It isn't a sign that something broke. It's a sign that nothing has been tended for a while.
Rituals beat grand gestures
A weekend away helps for a weekend. A small daily ritual helps for years: ten minutes of talk that isn't logistics, a walk after dinner, one real question a day.
Closeness isn't kept alive by big moments. It's kept alive by small ones that keep happening.
- Ask one question you don't know the answer to.
- Touch without it needing to lead anywhere.
- Plan something new together, however small.