When I knew we were really a couple: readers recount the wildly romantic--and sometimes surprising--moment they realized for sure that their man was committed. (Heart Copy).(Brief Article)

"I knew Tony was serious about me after dating him for only two months. I had been staying at his house a lot, and one day, after getting out of the shower, I noticed a new purple robe on the towel rack. Purple happens to be my favorite color, and Tony's entire bathroom is white and black, so I was a bit confused. I asked Tony about it, and he said that he had bought it for me because he knew I was going to be around for a while. And he was right ... we moved in together last month."

--Randi, 23

"My 8-year-old brother, Adam, was getting pushed around a lot at school by a bunch of bullies. He came home every day bruised and shaken, I'd been dating Martin for only a few weeks when I took him home to meet my parents and Adam. Martin is the most passive guy I've ever been with, but when he saw how scared my younger brother was when he got off the bus, he was furious. He jumped in his car and took off to confront the bullies. I knew then that if this guy was willing to defend my family, he would always protect me." --Tiffany, 22

"Seth and I had gone out only a few times when my grandmother became really sick. She lives in another state, so I was going to have to drive eight hours to visit her. When I explained the situation to Seth, he took my hand and said that there was no way he would let me go by myself. I told him that I'd be fine, but he insisted on taking time off from work and driving with me to see her. Even though we'd only known each other for a couple of weeks, he was determined to be there for me, which convinced me that he was the kind of guy I could always count on."

--Katherine, 27

"Chris is a really private person and isn't very close to his family, so when he invited me to meet his parents, I got the feeling we were heading toward coupledom. But I had no idea just how serious he was ready to be. At dinner, his parents seemed to know everything about me, especially his mother. She knew where I worked, how much I loved swimming, and even the name of my dog! I figured that if Chris wanted to share so much about me with his parents, he planned on one day ...