By Laura Snyder

Absence may make the heart grow fonder, but it certainly complicates the love affair.

Thinking you might be better off ditching your far-off fling for something a little closer to home? If your long-distance love suffers from any of these symptoms, it might be time to cut that phone cord.

Distance Deal Breaker #1: Call Back Crisis

Communication is key to the long-distance relationship. While couples who live in the same zip code have the luxury of silence, long-distance couples have to distill their lives into their phone and email conversations. So, if he or she isn’t returning your calls, find out why. Maybe they’re just super-busy. Or maybe they’re trying to give you a hint.

Distance Deal Breaker #2: One-sided Signals

Maybe it isn’t just that he or she is slow to dial your digits, maybe you’ve noticed you’re the one doing all the calling. Suss out if you’re on the same page, romantically. Your long-distance love should want to talk to you, after all. Are you taking this relationship more seriously than he or she is?

Distance Deal Breaker #3: Planning Problems

In order for any romance to work, you have to want to see each other and be willing to put forth the effort to do so. If your far-off honey doesn’t seem interested in making plans to get to together in the future, it could be that they’d just rather picture their future without you in it.

Distance Deal Breaker #4: Low Romance Factor

Long-distance couples have to go the extra mile to show their affection for each other, since you’ve got less visual cues to go on. If you can’t see your partner’s eyes go all soft when he or she smiles at you, he or she needs to be able to articulate how gooey they feel when they hear from you. If they’re not, then you and your distance dalliance are little more than just good pen pals.