Every time she recalled a sweet, funny story about her vibrant and quirky daughter, Julie Ruge hugged Libby's shoes and teddy bear a little tighter.
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The shoes were the ones Libby was wearing the night she died, and since then, her mother has been unable to put them down.
Nor has she been able to go into Libby's room.
A beautiful aroma of flowers lingers in the house as photos of Libby have now been placed on nearly every surface of the family's Kiama home.
Sharing loving memories has helped Libby's mothers Julie Ruge and Julie Harrison in their darkest moments since their 19-year-old daughter's life was tragically cut short last Saturday.
Libby was simply out with two friends and her boyfriend Luke Day for dinner before heading to a venue for a night out.
But then she was hit and killed by a car while walking on the footpath along the Princes Highway in Wollongong.
They received a call about 10.30pm and rushed to the scene of the accident.
They know their lives will never be the same. They won't get to hug her, see her smile or hear her say "I love you".
But Mrs Ruge and Mrs Harrison are choosing to remember the precious memories they shared with their daughter.
"She was a crazy and quirky 19-year-old who had her whole life ahead of her," Mrs Ruge said.
"She was the apple of our eye and was spoilt rotten and we are so glad we did that now.
"Libby was vibrant, and messy, as well as cautious, which is why her passing is such a shock."
The former Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts student graduated last year and was on a gap year before planning to study dentistry.
She had just landed her dream job as a dental assistant at South Coast Smiles where her boss loved her after only two short weeks, saying she brought "light into the practice" and a sense of ease to patients.
Libby wanted to give people the confidence that comes with good teeth, referring to dentistry as a form of "art".
Libby was planning a life with Luke, her shy high school boyfriend of three years, who loved her more than anything. They planned to buy a block of land together.
"They had a great relationship together and apart as they were interested in their own things too," Mrs Ruge said.
Libby was dearly loved by Luke's family, who have now also lost a daughter.
Luke gifted Libby two bears, one that Mrs Ruge can't let go of because it still smells like her daughter, and another life-size one that now brings joy as Libby would hug it so tight.
Libby was always on the phone to her mothers, just "touching base", sharing with them the details of her day.
She would never end a phone call without saying "I love you" and would stay on until the other person said it back.
Her mother said Libby always wanted to make people happy, and would be there for a friend whenever they needed her.
She had a good moral compass but could be "fearless".
"She would jump in and have a go at anything," Mrs Harrison said.
The talented young woman loved to play the cello, was a national cheerleader, played rugby union and did karate. Libby drew beautiful artworks, including one of her beloved grandmother Bessie.
"When she was four years old she was busking, playing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on the violin, while also bouncing on a bungee swing," Mrs Ruge recalled. "When she was big enough she played the cello.
"Libby was amazingly smart. Julie is an osteopath and Libby would learn from her anatomy books and could tell you every bone in your body by age 4.
"But she was quirky dumb. She couldn't say fire extinguisher.
"When she was younger she was playing hide and seek with her brother and she hid behind a glass door.
"She was the funny one."
After being bullied for having gay parents, Libby became a champion for same sex marriage.
She struggled with friends in her younger years as many do, but then found her close group of girlfriends who supported each other, especially in their burgeoning modelling careers.
Mrs Ruge said "it was meant to be" that Libby had the time of her life when she recently went on a road trip to Byron Bay with a friend.
The close family, including Libby's sister Stevie and brother Dan, wanted to thank those for their outpouring of support, and especially the emergency service workers who consoled them when they arrived at the accident.
The past week has been like a roller coaster for the Ruges, who could not have gotten through it without the support and help of their extended family.
"It sucks. I miss her terribly," Mrs Ruge said.
"I was her best friend. I will miss her walking in the door and saying 'hello cutie' to me."
"Hold your kids tight," Mrs Harrison said.
"Make sure you tell them you love them."
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