It makes women happy to be shown love. We like to hear the words if at all possible. A good ‘ole “I love you, you look amazing, you’re my everything” works pretty darn well.

Oh, and we like gifts and surprise dates too — and don’t forget to tell us we look great in that new dress we bought.

But for as much as women crave affection and romance, some men just aren’t built that way — that’s not how they roll. But does that mean he doesn’t love you?

Not at all. Here’s the real deal about how men show their love, even if it’s not with candlelight and roses.

Here are six things he does that mean he’s totally taken with you:

1. He does things for you

Yes indeed— he’s a proud man who can take care of you and provide for his loved ones. He shows his love through whatever chores he does — maybe he takes out the trash, cuts the lawn or washes your car. He even gets you to a doctor’s appointment.

Yes, I know — you might have to remind him to get something done. But if you think about it, he’s pretty good at keeping his promises and completing his tasks.

It’s the little everyday things he does that show he cares.

Something for which to be grateful, even if it’s not done with flowers and candy in hand.

2. He loves your company and just being around you

He’s the one who teases you, makes fun of you while you’re cooking or maybe even helps with a meal. He watches movies with you and lays in bed and talks with you about how work went today.

Your man could be out all night with his buddies or hanging out in the garage for hours tinkering with whatever he does in there. Now there’s nothing wrong with some alone time— actually it’s very healthy.

But he makes choices and many of them include spending time with you.

Romantic or not, he’s there — on an everyday basis — and that’s love.

3. In challenging times, he sticks by you

Every relationship has ups and downs. This guy stays through the downs.

He’s made a commitment and he tries his best to get through whatever is going on. It might be tough but you both work on the issues.

Maybe he frustrates you because he doesn’t like to talk or maybe he avoids confrontation but one way or the other, it gets worked out.

This guy wants to keep love going and hard times don’t scare him.

4. He does things he doesn’t really want to (just to please you)

Not all men love to run kids around or do certain chores. Neither do you.

However, there he is doing them anyway.

Why? Because he loves you and somewhere deep down he knows that in a relationship, there are things that need to be done to help it run smoothly.

Like all of us, he’d rather be having a drink and relaxing on the couch or at a favorite watering hole. The gym might have been his thing years ago but now he knows to get a workout in and come back home.

You’ve both got a lot to do. This kind of man willfully digs in and helps his family thrive — now that’s true love.

5. He tolerates people in your life he doesn’t particularly like

So maybe your family is a bit of a pain. Perhaps you have this friend who drives him nuts.

But he puts up with it and tries to keep a smile on his face. These annoying people are in his life not by his choice — but by your choice.

Sometimes he walks away or just pleasantly smiles but he tries his best to bite his tongue — even though it doesn’t always work.

But he does try. He does it for you because he knows certain people are very important in your life and he does his best to respect that.

6. He supports your goals and thinks you’re amazing

This is really the bottom line — he knows you’re the best and relationships mean we can’t have everything our way all the time.

He picked you and you’re fantastic! He knows that.

A loving relationship is made up of many pieces and parts. Sure it’s even better with a little romance but love is so much more than that.  

Remembering this can help us appreciate our loved ones and open our hearts and minds to a new kind of relationship joy.