a partner is sometimes about companionship. being in love is not a part of the equation. but that just depends on where 2 people are in their lives. example: amelia earhart and george putnam had a pre-marital aggreement. it seems more like companionship rather than being in love. for sure by amelia.
http://www.lib.purdue.edu/spcol/aearhart/marriage.php
being in love is to want to know everything there is about the other person. wanting to give them pleasure in all directions of their lives. just can't seem to get enough.
people change. change isn't always a bad thing. i've never stopped loving anyone. the being in love part changed. i'm not a fan of the pharse "falling out of love".
i adore the thought of a soulmate. i don't think i should be fixated on one. i think i can have more than one in my lifetime. does every one find a soulmate?
i know that i need to really focus on communication. i don't do that well. if two people really get to know selves and share that knowing in a communicative way, ... most likely the lifetime relationship will be found.
i've often wondered, does our own hearts deceive us? it's possible. it could be said that the deception is not by the heart, but instead, things such as lust. and i tend to go with my heart doesn't ask me for permission to love. so that thing i call heart, in my opinion, can absolutely do whatever it wants.