Two people can love each other and still build a relationship that does not work.
That sentence sounds harsh until you separate emotion from structure.
Love tells you something important. It tells you there is attachment, care, meaning or desire. It does not automatically settle money, children, honesty, sex, anger, ambition, family boundaries, location, faith or the way two people behave when they are disappointed.
A lasting relationship needs more than a strong feeling.
It needs somewhere for the feeling to live.
1. Trust
Trust is not the absence of jealousy.
It is the ability to rely on what the other person says because their behaviour has earned credibility.
Trust includes truth about money, friendships, sex, ex-partners, plans and mistakes.
You do not need total access to another adult's private life. You do need enough honesty that privacy is not being used as a hiding place.