Sometimes, an on-screen love story between a TV or movie couple seems so real, it’s impossible

for us not to route for them in real life! Such is the case with the Virgin River characters, Preacher

and Julia, who are in the beginning stages of a blossoming romance! But did you know that the

actors who play Preacher (Colin Lawrence) and Julia (Lucia Waters) are married in real life?! There’s a sweet twist for ya! To refresh, Lucia plays Julia, who we were introduced to in season 4 of Virgin River. Julia is a martial arts instructor who runs into Preacher and almost right away has some very clear flirtatious energy. The new friendship quickly picks up into something more, delighting fans with a sweet storyline for Preacher that honestly feels long overdue! (Now, don’t get us wrong—we do still love the moments that Preacher and Paige share together, but the way things have been going between them recently has us feeling that their story might be coming to an end.)

The chemistry between Preacher and Julia seems obvious once you know the history behind Colin and Lucia, which by the way, is 20 years in the making! If you’re feeling pleasantly surprised by this fact, you’re not alone! Read on for everything we uncovered about the couple and their sweet history. Who is Colin Lawrence? Colin is a British-born Canadian actor who started his career back in 1994. He’s starred in many TV shows and movies over the years, including Battlestar Galactica, Endgame, Riverdale, Supernatural, and Watchmen. Most recently, on Virgin River, he plays John “Preacher” Middleton who is an Army veteran and now manages the bar that Jack owns. Who is Colin Lawrence’s wife? In real life, Colin’s wife is Lucia Waters, who you may recognize from the movie Mission to Mars or the TV show Life Unexpected.

She’s also appeared in numerous other shows—some of which overlap with her hubby Colin. The two met back in 1997 when they crossed paths studying acting. And they must have hit it off, because they’ve been together ever since! How long have Colin Lawrence and Lucia Waters been married? The couple has been married for 24 years! 🥹 Back in 2019, Colin posted to Instagram a selfie of him and Lucia on their 20th anniversary getaway. “Anniversary weekend getaway in wine country 🍷❤️” Colin captioned the post. The couple is proving that love stories exist outside of television, too! Do Colin Lawrence and Lucia Waters have kids together? Yep! They share two daughters together, and both Colin and Lucia post about them regularly on Instagram. What’s even cuter is the fact that their youngest, Bianca Lawrence, is already starting to act—and has even been in a movie with her dad! The father-daughter duo starred in a 2021 Lifetime Christmas flick, Dancing Through the Snow. If that’s not #familygoals, we don’t know what is!