Read their actions, not their texts. Anyone can type “I miss you.” Not everyone shows up.

Words are cheap to produce and easy to mean sincerely in the moment. Affection typed at midnight costs nothing by morning, while turning up, remembering and rearranging a schedule all take something real. That difference is what makes behavior the honest record. People tend to be exactly as involved as their calendar shows.

For a month, keep track of what people did rather than what they said. Ask who has been there when it was inconvenient. Hand out your trust in that same proportion.