couples together twenty-plus years aren't more in love than everyone else. they've just protected a set of small, unglamorous habits that most people let slip after year two. longitudinal research on long-married couples keeps surfacing the same handful of behaviors. they go to bed at the same time, even when one partner is a night owl — mismatched bedtimes quietly erase the only daily window built for closeness. they debrief, even briefly, on how the day actually felt, not just what happened. they touch without an agenda, a hand on the back or an arm pulled in, automatic rather than romantic. they keep one tiny private ritual that no one else would notice. they protect the last fifteen minutes before sleep from work talk, logistics, and conflict. none of it is impressive. it's just never skipped. none of this requires twenty years to start, either. every habit on this list can begin tonight. the relationship people envy at year twenty was built one ordinary night at a time. share...