I surprise her with her favorite things when she’s had a hard day! I get her chocolates, kombucha, chips, an aromatherapy rollerball, and herbal supplements.

—McKenna, 24

I make my partner feel special by listening. He told me that it bothers him when I’m on my phone a lot, so I keep it in the other room. When he tells me a story or something he wants to do, I try to remember and make it a part of me.

— Ross, 23

I let her choose the music, and by that, I mean I am always listening to Bruno Mars at exceedingly high volumes. In the kitchen. In the car. Doesn't matter where.

— Jamie, 22

We both love to cook for each other. Whenever I make them an extravagant meal, especially if it’s ribeye steak, I can see them light up with joy.

— Heeyoon, 26

I like to make my sweetie feel special with surprises. I want them to feel like they inspire me to challenge myself to do something fun that makes them feel really seen and special. We have this fund that we use to save, to go out to a fancy restaurant and instead of going to dinner there, the surprise is that we are staying in the hotel that the restaurant is in, which is also a fantasy we have played.

— Alix, 25

My partner gets anxious about everything, and I used to want to try to fix it all or to offer solutions, but I've learned that she just wants me to be there and to validate whatever she's saying, not to offer my advice.

— Soraya, 23

My boyfriend is really into verbal affirmations, so I tell him what I think is so great about him and why I love him. But also it doesn’t have to be so deep either — I just like to tell him that he's hot or that he's a really good friend or that the food he makes is amazing.

— Sophie, 26

I like to meet up with him on his lunch break. We both keep pretty busy schedules, but I like to try to go out of my way to see him.

— Mora, 24

I like to make her bed when I stay over her house and clean up. I'll wipe down the kitchen counters and sweep up.

— Jenna, 26

I want my partner to know that I'm thinking about him even when we're not together, so I like to send him sweet texts during the day or even put postcards in the mail. Sometimes, I'll leave love notes in places that I know he'll find, like in his wallet or by the doorway.

— Alesin, 22

Dependability is really big for my girlfriend. I think, in the past, she dated people who were never on time or always really flakey. If I say that I can go to something, I make it my business to be there, on time, no questions asked. And if something does come up, I try to be as transparent as possible about my schedule.

— Jonah, 24

I send my girlfriend flowers a lot. Or I'll just pick some up at the grocery store.

— Keenan, 26

I try to invite her brother out to things with us and have been working on getting closer to her family. I know it means a lot to her, and I'm happy to see her happy.

— Zo, 27

I remind him I’m in his corner. Like he was sick this week, so I drew him a bath and lit some candles and let him soak and sweat it out while I made tea. We don’t have a lot of money to do big things, like go out to eat or buy gifts (though I love gift-giving!), so special moments of care are more about putting the needs of the other before your own and making sure we’re both doing OK.

— Lu, 27

I think the best way to make your partner feel special is by fully understanding and believing that they are special. I try to remind him how much joy he brings me. And I like to share my happiness with my friends and family. And I brag about him to anyone that will listen, you know?

— Cameron, 21