Boris Kodjoe On How He & Nicole Ari Parker Keep Their Love Strong After 20 Years

Picture this: It's the year 2000. Rhinestone crop tops and wedge heels are totally in season. Nelly's "Country Grammar" is on the radio and Nicole Ari Parker and Boris Kodjoe are on the set of Soul Food giving us our entire lives in an intense make-out sesh. Little did Nicole and Boris know, what they once thought was a fleeting moment with a hot coworker would actually turn out to the beginning of their 20-year love story.

Two decades, two children, and countless priceless memories later, the couple is celebrating two decades since they first met and are forever giving us the feels.

Boris recently appeared on an episode of The Real and revealed what's next for the soon-to-be empty nesters, and according to him, it's a whole lot of sex. When the 46-year-old actor was asked about the next chapter in his 15-year marriage, he had this to say:

"Get rid of the kids. It's going to be a party. We're going to party on the way of dropping him off at college. I love my kids but you know, be real. They, they mess you up good when they come."

In the past, Nicole has spilled all the details on the prayer she said to find her Boaz (well, in her case, Boris), but according to her, the key to finding true love is loving yourself, first. In an exclusive interview with xoNecole in 2016, the now-49-year-old actress explained:

"A woman has to have her own source of happiness, you gotta have your own thing. Not necessarily like, 'I got my own thing, I don't need you, I don't want you.' But more like, your own source of happiness, your own thing that makes you happy so that when you come to the dinner table, when you come home, you have something to add to the conversation. You know? 'Like I have something to share with you!' So I'm not depending on him for my happiness."

Thanks to this advice, Boris and Nicole's throwback romance is still in full effect. Along with being your own source of happiness, first, Boris says that keeping the romance alive is a must in his marriage:

"She's already super sexy. I think it's taking each other in [that keeps the relationship alive.] Being present in each other's lives, listen to each other. Do the little things. Send texts throughout the day. Send flowers. Going on date nights."

Above all things, Nicole and Boris stress the importance of not becoming roommates in your relationship, despite how hard that may actually be in real life:

"Our life revolves around our kids. It's our priority. Family life is very important and sometimes we forget that we were here first. And sometimes I have to remind her- 'Look, um, I need some time with you alone. We need to go away.' Even if it is just for an afternoon, that's very important. And people can regret that. Because you don't want to turn into roommates. You don't want to go into 'roommate zone'. That's always dangerous."

Featured image by Instagram/@nicoleariparker.