After I finished feeding Cleo, I did some other things around the zoo, including helping Wes feed the other snakes. We also went and started on feeding the crocs, but I had to leave as it was almost 3 and I still needed to head home for a quick shower before I had to go over to Ashley's to help set up.
We were walking to her house now, Bindi, Chandler, baby Grace, and me. Mum couldn't make it to help set up, she got busy caring for Hunter, our blind Sumatran tiger. But she swore she'd be there for the party.
As we were walking, I filled Bindi in on what was going on with Ashley and Jackson. Bindi knew about my feelings for Ashley. She helped me realise that's what it was a few years ago when I was extremely jealous and hurt when Ashley got a boyfriend.
"Oh, Robert, I'm really sorry," she said, patting my shoulder, "but I know Ashley likes you too. Maybe she's denying it or worrying about ruining the friendship between you two. I know she'll turn around, just be there for her."
I appreciated Bindi. She was the best sister I could ask for, always there to listen when I need and say something of use or give me some good advice. It was nice to have a girl to talk to about my girl problems and give me advice from a girl's perspective. Plus Bindi always helped me pick out gifts and such, especially for Ashley. She also knew Ashley real well, which helps me out a bunch.
"Yeah, I think Ashley does like you. She just might not know what to think of those feelings just yet. It was like that for Bindi and me at first," Chandler popped up. He was carrying baby Grace, she loved adventures with her dad and going everywhere around the zoo with Bindi.
We approached Ashley's house, letting ourselves in through the back door. Laurie was setting trays of veggies, cheese, hamburger buns, and condiments on the counter.
"Hey! How ya going?" I asked, grabbing her attention.
She came to me for a hug. "Good, and you too? Bindi you look as beautiful as ever! Robert and Chandler, don't you look nice!"
I looked down, I wasn't wearing anything too fancy. This was just like a family dinner for me. I had on a white button-up and some blue jeans. Bindi wore a tan dress, Chandler a plain shirt and jeans.
Laurie embraced all of us in hugs and finished up with pinching Grace's cheeks.
"Okay, Ashley should be down any minute now. Bindi, I just need your help slicing the tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese. Boys, if you could move the table outside, and then go in the hall closet and get the extra piece for the table and insert it. There's also some foldable chairs in that closet as well," Laurie instructed us, taking Grace from the baby pouch Chandler was carrying it in, he went and tossed it on the couch.
Chandler and I nodded, sliding the back door open and each grabbing one end of the table. Thankfully the table was easy enough to move outside. Next, we went through the living room to the hall closet. Right before we turned down the hall, Ashley came down the stairs.
She looked beautiful in the sunflower dress. She was right, it was the perfect thing to go with the necklace I got her. She wore some simple black heels, and her brown curly hair was pulled back in a half ponytail. Only tiny amounts of makeup on her face.
Chandler noticed I was staring and nudged me. "Say something," he whispered.
"Ash, you look uhh...nice," I said and immediately could feel my face turning red.
She smiled, a slight blush appearing across her cheeks as well. "Well, you clean up nice too."
"Do you wanna help us grab the foldable chairs?"
"Oh is that what you're doing? Sure."
She came over, holding the closet door open while Chandler grabbed the insert for the table. I grabbed two of the foldable chairs and Ashley grabbed the other two.
We brought everything outside again, where Ashley started trying to explain how to expand the table.
"So just under the top, there a lever on each side, pull it and it'll slide the other two pieces. Slide them to the ends and then the insert goes right in the middle."
Chandler and I started with pulling the levers before Ashley went back inside to help her mum prepare the ingredients for the hamburgers.
"I can't believe you're just gonna let her think that other guy likes her," Chandler commented as we pulled the ends of the table apart.
"I don't want her to, trust me. But I also don't want to ruin our friendship, or for him to hurt her," I said, still not sure what to do with this situation.
"I know how Ash is, she's stubborn and hard-headed and wouldn't believe you anyway. You just got to be there for when it does inevitably happen, and I hate to put it that way but if this guy really is like you say he is with other girls, it will."
The thought of Ashley getting hurt made my stomach drop. I wish I could save her feelings, but Chandler is right. She is hardheaded and wouldn't believe me anyway. So I just have to be there for her when she needs me.
Mum came up the back porch steps, carrying a present for Ashley. "Hey, you guys! How's it going?"
"Good! I think we're just about ready to start the barbie," I said as Chandler and I placed the insert in the centre of the table.
Soon mum, Laurie, Bindi, and Ashley came back outside, holding plates of sliced cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, hamburger buns, and the burgers. Bindi was also carrying a bowl of potato chips.
"Well, let's start the barbie. Any word on Wes and Luke?" I asked.
"Yes, they're coming. They wanted to just wash up," Mum replied, taking a seat at the table.
Laurie started the barbie, mum, Bindi, Chandler, and Grace sat at the table. Ashley made her way over to the porch swing.
I went and sat by Ashley. "Any word from Jackson?" I asked, sitting next to her.
She shook her head. "No, but we talked a bit last night. He said he would be here," She replied, a slight hint of disappointment in her voice.
"Well, if not, you always got me!" I joked, slightly nudging her arm. At least it made her laugh.
Wes and Luke finally showed up, each hold presents as well, and took a seat at the table, chatting with the others.
We finally ate, making conversation as we did. The food was good and it was nice to spend time together as one big family.
As the evening went on, Jackson never showed up. I could tell it bothered Ashley, so I kept trying to make jokes and get her to laugh, which seemed to work for the most part.
"Why don't you open your gifts now?" Laurie said, getting up to grab them where she placed them on the porch swing.
"Oh, I'd love to!" Ashley said, giggling and getting excited.
First, she opened the present from my mum. It was a framed certificate of Ashley's "adoption" of Rose the koala, with a photo that was taken of Ashley feeding her this morning.
"Oh, Terri! This is amazing and so official," she laughed, smiling at mum. "Thank you so much! I appreciate it, and that you gave me the honour of naming her."
I could tell how much Ashley loved Rose, and all of the other animals we worked with at the zoo. She had a special connection with animals in general, and I could tell she felt at home at the zoo. I hope she chooses to work there, I know regardless of what she wants to do at the zoo mum can find something for her.
Next, she opened up the present from Bindi, which was a silver keychain with an otter on it. There was also a pack of polaroid film.
"I know how much you love the otters, and I have a matching one," Bindi said, Grace babbling in her arms.
"And I know how much you like taking your polaroid photos, and it's good to have those photos to look back on," Chandler chimed in.
"Oh, thank you, guys! I love both of them very much!" Ashley beamed.
She then opened the presents from Wes and Luke, which was canvases (from Luke) and a set of acrylic paints, brushes, and paint markers (from Wes). Wes was like the father Bindi and I needed after our dads' accidents, so he had the same fatherly bond with Ashley.
"We didn't quite know what to get you, so we asked Robert and he told us how much you love to paint. Which we really should've thought of ourselves, you always have paint on you somewhere or your sketchbook with you," Wes said, chuckling at himself. It's true, he and Luke did ask me yesterday what to get her, and I suggested some art supplies. I know Ashley would appreciate it.
"I could always use more art supplies," She said, laughing.
Next Ashley's mum set two presents on the table.
"So this one is from me," she said, handing Ashley the thicker of the two presents.
I could see the confusion on Ashley's face when her mum said only one of the presents was from her.
She opened the one from her mum, in it was a photo album of pictures of their family when her dad was alive, pictures of just her parents when they first met and the animals they worked with, and a pack of clay and some clay tools.
"This is great mum, but how do you go from sentimental to art supplies," Ashley joked, stacking her gifts on top of each other.
We all laughed. "I figured you could use it and wanted to get you more than just something to look at," Laurie replied.
Laurie grabbed the other package. "I probably didn't need to wrap it because, well, you'll see. But your dad left this for you for today. I've never opened it so I'm not entirely sure what all is in there."
Ashley reached out for that present from her and took a deep breath before opening it.
She slowly peeled back the wrapping paper to reveal a wooden box. It was a fairly good size and Ashley looked at it in confusion. Once she got all the paper off, she noticed the box had carvings of different animals on the top and sides, and it looked hand done.
"Dad made this, didn't he?" She asked, carefully tracing her fingers along the carving marks.
"He did, love. He loved woodwork, you know that. We have those pieces in the living room of the turtles and the elephant ones. He made this while I was pregnant with you. He made it for you and wanted to give it to you on your wedding day. A few nights before his accident, he told me to give it to you when you graduate if he didn't make it to your wedding day. I think he sort of knew something was going to happen," her mum explained, tears welling in both her and Ashley's eyes.
I gently rubbed Ashley's shoulders. This was all new information to all of us and I could tell it was hitting her hard. She carefully opened the box.
The first thing on it was a letter that said he would always be proud of her, no matter what she did and where she went with her life, and that he knew she would do great things. She read the letter silently, a tear falling from her eye. But since I was sitting next to her I could read the letter over her shoulder.
She set it aside and looked at the rest of her box. There was her hospital bracelet from the day she was born, the first photos of her that her dad took, and some notebooks.
She opened one of the notebooks. "These were dad's journals. It's got things he did at the zoo in San Diego, some pages are like diary entries of things that we were doing, some are entries from when he was doing research in Africa, and so much more." Laurie said, her voice cracking. "I haven't seen them since he finished them and put them in there."
Ashley flipped open to a random page in the journal on the top.
"September 7, 2006. Terri Irwin called me today, letting me know that Steve has passed away. Laurie and I said we will be there soon to help her run the zoo. No one could've expected this. Steve was an amazing bloke and an even better friend. I'm glad we could at least go help Terri, and the kids would get on with Ashley amazingly," She read out loud, looking up at my mum. She smiled back at her, tears now welling in her eyes as well. Was everyone going to end up crying today?
She pulled out the next journal in the box.
"June 10, 2016. I have a feeling something bad is going to happen soon. Just an uncertainty that sits in the pit of my stomach. I've tried dismissing it, I'm sure it may just be indigestion or acid reflux flaring up again," Ashley let out a sad laugh. "I told Laurie to give this box to Ashley on her graduation day instead of her wedding if I'm not able to be there. These last few years in Australia have been incredible, and we've helped Terri do so much with the zoo. Ashley has grown very fond of the animals, and I hope she knows that no matter what happens in life, Terri will always welcome her to the zoo. She's become such great friends with Robert and Bindi, and for that, I am so thankful. Robert is quite the young man, and Laurie and I both hope that deep down, he and Ashley end up together."
Her voice lowered as she read the last part, I don't think she meant to read that out loud, or at least wasn't expecting it. Her face quickly turned red, and I'm sure mine did as well. Her mom laughed.
"Whenever we moved here and you, Robert, and Bindi got close, your dad would always tell me he wouldn't mind if you and Robert got together. He said Robert was the only guy he knew he wouldn't have to worry about taking care of you. He never wanted to pressure you guys together and didn't want to say anything to ruin your friendship. The journals are out of order because a few days before he passed, he was looking through them to find some notes he did on the research he was doing on the manta rays, you remember that. He wanted to help for when Robert went on that trip and swam with them," Laurie explained.
There was a slight awkwardness in the air after this. "We're just friends mum, don't worry," Ashley said, setting that journal aside as well.
She looked through the box. There was a name badge that was her dad's, an old one from when he started working at the zoo, with his last name on it- Burkett. There was also a little baby onesie of hers, a light pink one with a koala on it, and when she unfolded it there was a note that she read out loud.
"I think the koalas will be her favourite as she gets older, she's always pointing at babbling at them here in San Diego. Today, I called Steve and we chatted, catching up on life. I told him about Ashley's excitement for these animals, he said he would name a koala after her." she read. "It's dated October 24, 2005."
"That's why we have Ash the koala," my mum said, "You never asked, so I figured you knew. I remember that day. Steve was so excited, talking about you as if you were Robert or Bindi, he did look at you as his niece. He said, "Oh, Terri, that little girl loves koalas! Gary was telling me all about how excited she gets, so we have to name a koala after her! And Gary says she just got these killer green eyes and such a personality. She's going to be a wildlife warrior too, I can feel it." And look where you are now! You've been such a help to the zoo and you've done so much for our animals."
Ashley wiped her eyes and smiled up at my mum saying, "Being a wildlife warrior is one of the best things I could do with my life!" Everyone smiled and agreed, we were one dedicated group of people.
"Oh, it looks like there's something else," I said, pointing in the box.
Ashley drew her attention to the box. The last thing in the box was a small envelope.
"Oh, there is," She grabbed it out and opened it. Inside the envelope was a set of keys, with a sea turtle charm on them.
"Mum? What are these for?" She asked, confused.
"Come on, let's go see," Laurie said, getting up from the table. We all got up and followed her around the house.