Folsom couple at senior living home found love after loss, set to marry: "A pleasant surprise"
FOLSOM - An inspiring love story is still being written chapter by chapter at the Brookdale Folsom home for seniors.
That's where Faye Guerrero, 84, and Rob Trueax, 76, found love again.
"He's pretty romantic. He has a great sense of humor. I just really liked him," Faye said about how Rob caught her attention.
Their relationship came alive in the Brookdale dining hall.
Rob told a mutual friend living at the senior home named May that he was interested in dating again. May, playing matchmaker, said, "Meet Faye."
They all began eating together in a group setting. Then, things progressed as they do.
"I would escort her down to the dining room," Rob said. "We started eating at our own table, just the two of us. [It] gave us an opportunity to talk a lot."
They talked and talked about life and loss.
"I was married to my previous wife for 40 years," Rob said. "She passed away and it left a hollow spot. I felt I always wanted to be married."
Faye lost a great love, too. Her husband died years ago, but unlike Rob, she wasn't looking for love.
"I was never interested in getting married again. But he just changed my mind," said Faye with a smile.
"From the day we first met, it was five weeks until I proposed," Rob said. "I figure, at our age, we can't waste any time."
Rob popped the question on New Year's Day and drew up the wedding plans by hand.
Saturday, the pair will be married at Brookdale Folsom, steps away from the dining hall where they first met.
"Our newlyweds will be standing right in front of our fireplace," Kristian Bie said.
Kristian is Brookdale's resident program director and the designated wedding planner for Rob and Faye, which she calls a true honor.
"It's our first Brookdale wedding and we are all very excited," she said. "It just shows people there is a lot of hope, reconnecting with people or connecting with people."
But Faye admits the single life suited her well.
"Not having anybody tell me what to do," Faye said.
"Do I tell you what to do? I try not to," Rob responded.
The exchange was met with laughs and smiles from the couple feeling quite young again in each other's arms.
Faye, however, still wears her first wedding ring on her right hand. Soon, she'll put her second on her left.
It's a reminder that a love lost doesn't have to be a last love.
"If somebody is open to it, even if they are not planning on it, it's a pleasant surprise," Faye said.
Faye and Rob will tie the knot at Brookdale Saturday afternoon surrounded by their family, friends and the community of residents who live there.