Jennifer Aniston and boyfriend Jim Curtis couldn't have looked more in sync during their public debut at the Elle Women in Hollywood event on November 17. The couple sat side by side between Aniston's besties Andrea Bendewald and Kristin Hahn with matching expressions and their hands clasped under their chins as they listened to Aniston's longtime pal Adam Sandler gush about the actress. "I can honestly say Jen is the best in so many ways and one of the most rocksteady humans I've ever met," Sandler said before turning his attention to Aniston's handsome new guy. "Me and [my wife], Jackie, are so happy that you and Jim found each other and are having the love affair you two deserve. We love you, Jim." Five months after Us Weekly revealed Aniston, 56, and the hypnotist were dating, the romance has become one of the actress' most public-facing relationships to date. (They were first spotted together on vacation in Spain over July 4 weekend with Aniston's close friends Jason Bateman and his wife, Amanda Anka.) On November 2, in honor of Curtis' 50th birthday, she posted a sweet black-and-white photo of them alongside a caption reading, "Happy birthday my love. Cherished." Several of Aniston's celebrity pals expressed their adoration for the couple in the comments, with Amy Schumer gushing, "Beautiful couple. Healing kind angels." MONICA SCHIPPER/GETTY IMAGES; KEVIN MAZUR/GETTY IMAGES In an Elle cover story published shortly after, Aniston praised Curtis, calling him "quite extraordinary" and "very special, very normal, and very kind." Sources say it's the real deal, and that Aniston wants to shout it from the rooftops. "Jen is more public with Jim because she feels confident in their relationship and where it's going," says one source. Adds a second: "They are solidly in the 'This feels different' zone. There are no games, and there's no hiding." It's been green flags from the start for Aniston and Curtis. (In July, Us reported they were set up by a mutual friend; the first source says they began "quietly dating" earlier this year.) There were hints of their brewing romance on social media in the spring: In May, she posted a carousel of photos that included his book Shift: Quantum Manifestation Guide, and she began steadily liking nearly every one of his Instagram posts, including a reel he shared about finding love in June. "It's always a slow burn at first for Jen," says the first source, noting that while she was initially cautious, Curtis' "consistency" helped her open up again. Their connection keeps getting stronger. "As time goes by, they uncover another layer about each other," says the second source. The pair spent Thanksgiving with mutual friends (they were seen grabbing brunch in NYC's West Village on November 29), and on December 25, Aniston shared photos from their first Christmas together. The second source says they are also planning a vacation and may travel to Aspen around New Year. "Things have progressed," says the first source. "They are very serious at this point." Jennifer Aniston and Boyfriend Jim Curtis' Relationship Timeline Aniston has been pretty guarded about her love life - until now. Curtis accompanied her to the NYC premiere of season 4 of The Morning Show in September (where he supported her from the sidelines while she posed with costars Reese Witherspoon and Billy Crudup), two days after she soft-launched him on Instagram with a photo of what appeared to be the back of his head looking out at a sunset. Curtis included multiple shots of Aniston at his birthday party in a November 4 Instagram post. "If this is a dream, I don't want to wake up," he captioned the carousel, which led with a shot of Aniston with her arms wrapped around him. He also made an appearance in an ad for her LolaVie line that she shared on Instagram on November 25. "Cute," she says while tousling his hair. Sources say it's a testament to how secure she feels with Curtis. "He's brought her so much happiness and security that she feels comfortable sharing," says the first source. Curtis is Aniston's first serious boyfriend since her 2018 divorce from Justin Theroux (she was also married to Brad Pitt from 2000 until 2005). "It takes a special person for her to be open again after her public divorces." She's not scared of "jinxing" things, the second source adds. "She finally feels secure enough to share without any fear. Jen's saying this is her person. She wouldn't do that unless she was sure. She's tired of hiding her joy." Michael Kovac/Getty Images for ELLE It helps that Curtis is unbothered about being thrust into the spotlight as Aniston's plus-one. "Jim's whole career has been supported by working with high-profile people, so cameras and gossip don't rattle him," explains the second source. "He's been around fame, so it's not shocking to him, but it also doesn't govern his life. He's down to earth." Aniston doesn't have to worry about the glare of the spotlight pushing him away, adds the second source: