Avery Fair
If you’ve been around Corey and me together over the last few years, you knew our relationship. I coped with Corey being sick by finding reasons to be mad at him. But my God, I loved him. When Alex and I started dating, he encouraged me to spend more time with my brother and to be his friend. That’s why my mom and I fell in love with Alex so quickly. We would go get dinner with him, go out to grab drinks, bowl, or just hang out with him. Alex made Corey feel normal and would talk to him like they had been friends for years. Corey and I were closer than we had been in 10 years when he died, and I am ever thankful for that. When Alex and I got engaged, we asked Cor to be a groomsman, and I was SO proud that our relationship had progressed that much and the fact that he was well enough to be there.
A few months before the wedding, his health started cycling again like it always had, but he was still determined to be there. Just a few weeks before he died, he asked my mom to go pick up his suit because he was in the hospital and said something along the lines of, “Just get me whatever size Alex got…” if you know either of them, you know Alex is nearly twice Corey’s size. But he was still so determined to be at the wedding. He eventually realized that he probably wasn’t going to be able to be a groomsman, but he was still determined to go. A week before the wedding, he asked my mom to go buy him an outfit so he could be discharged from the hospital and make it to the wedding. You see, Corey was precious, and he loved BIG. It always seemed that his health would slip up every time there was a big event, and he hated that. He wanted to be at my wedding so bad, but he knew how sick he was even more than we all realized. He told my mom he was afraid if he came to the wedding, he’d steal my thunder. But that boy was absolutely determined to show up for my wedding, and my God did he show up.
It’s really funny how God orchestrates things, isn’t it?
Tuesday night before the wedding, I went to get my hair done. I didn’t know it at the time, but God was preparing me for what would happen the next day. The entire time I was at the salon, my hairdresser (an old family friend) and I talked about Corey. We talked about his health and how sad it made us that someone so talented was so sick, but how incredibly loved he was. As soon as I left the salon, I texted him and said, “I’m thinking about you. I love you.” This was the last thing I said to him, and I’m so thankful that I did. Corey died Wednesday night, and the following three days God showed himself to me more than He has my entire life. All week leading up to the wedding, there was a 95% chance of rain. Thursday morning, when we checked the weather, the forecast for Sunday was sunny with a 0% chance of rain and a high of 68. Which, a few days prior, I had told Alex that I wanted sunny and 68 for the wedding. When we first got engaged, my sweet aunts offered to cater my wedding, and I am forever thankful for that. When they called into work Thursday morning to let their bosses know they wouldn’t be there, our sweet family at Chick-fil-a corporate offered to step in and cater my incredible taco bar, supply my DREAM flower arrangements, and put together my dream wedding cake. These sweet souls basically said, “send us Avery’s wedding Pinterest board, and we’ll make it happen.” They brought in more tables, chairs, tents, and accessories than I ever imagined, and worked at the venue for the remaining three days leading up to the wedding.
Anyone who has talked to me over the last 5 months knows how tightly I budgeted this wedding. The week leading up to the big day, I was a little bit stressed because I still had a balance of $1813 to pay multiple vendors. When I woke up Friday morning, I had a missed call from my lawyer with a voicemail saying to come by their office because they had a check for me. I was very confused, but I went to my meeting. When I got there, they handed me a check from an insurance company from my car accident almost 2 years ago. The check was for $1820.
Sunday, October 27th was the best day of my life and a perfect ending to the most devastating chapter for my family.
Corey was always extremely protective of me and always looking out for me. He wanted to be at my wedding so bad, but he was afraid if he came, he’d steal my thunder. Corey didn’t steal my thunder at all. My sweet bubba gave me the wedding of my dreams. More than anything in the entire world I wish he could have been there, but I’m so glad I’m able to find peace in knowing that he is WHOLE again!