Living together before marriage is often seen as a smart trial run, but I've watched three couples in my friend group move in together and then break up within a year because they never actually discussed chores or finances. A lease binds you legally, but it doesn't test commitment the way a wedding date does, and it can lull you into thinking you've solved problems you've only postponed. Cohabitation might reveal habits, but it doesn't force the hard conversations about forever that marriage demands. Is a shared apartment really a reliable preview of a lifelong partnership, or just a convenient way to avoid making a real decision?