Libby Ruge's bedroom in her childhood home in Kiama has been left almost unchanged since the last time the 19-year-old slept in it 18 months ago.
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Libby's parents, Julie Ruge and Julie Harrison, have kept the cosy space just as it once was for friends to stop by and remember Libby, their 'vibrant and quirky' daughter whose life was tragically cut short one fateful night in November 2020.
"That's where she had her space and that's where she liked to be," Ms Harrison said.
Libby was walking along Flinders Street with her boyfriend and two friends on a night out when she was hit and killed by a car being driven by 20-year-old student Jaskaran Singh, who was driving two mates home to Keiraville.
On Friday, Singh was found guilty by a jury of dangerous driving causing Libby's death, as well as the grievous bodily harm of two of her friends, Tye West, 23, and Eva Harrison, 20, and failing to assist at the scene of the crash.
The jury took less than 90 minutes to reach its verdict.
After four days of evidence in the trial into Libby Ruge's death, her mothers, Julie Ruge and Julie Harrison say they have lost track of time.
"It's just surreal. All week, we've been saying, what day is it today? One day just runs into the next," Ms Ruge said.
"That's how our life is now. The sun comes up, sun goes down. Nothing really changes for us."
It has now been 18 months since their 19-year-old daughter set out with her friends and Libby's partner of three-and-a-half years, Luke Day, 20.
On November 7, 2020, the group were celebrating the end of restrictions.
Starting out at the Ocean Beach Hotel in Shellharbour, the group then got in an Uber to Wollongong. That Saturday night, the nightclubs were packed and lines stretched down Crown Street.
She would call me multiple times a day and always wanted to tell you everything.
After trying venues including Mr Crown, Ron De Vue and Red Square, the group walked down Flinders Street, heading towards Collegians.
It was there where tragedy struck, when a vehicle driven by Jaskaran Singh ploughed into the group, fatally injuring Ms Ruge, sending Mr West flying and harming Ms Harrison.
When Ms Ruge's mothers found out what had happened, it was one phone call and the entire extended family rushed to the hospital.
"It has made us a bit closer as well," said Ms Harrison.
At the end of 2020, Libby Ruge had just secured a dream job with South Coast Smiles as a dental hygienist.
Ms Ruge said that while Libby would often call her on the phone throughout the day, Libby was even more excited after locking down the role.
"She would call me multiple times a day and always wanted to tell you everything," Ms Ruge said.
"I just held somebody's mouth open for six hours!" Ms Ruge recalled Libby as saying.
In her personal life as well, Libby was on a high.
Having dated since high school, Libby and Luke were looking at "mum cars" as Ms Ruge recalled her calling it, as well as house and land packages for the young couple.
"In the week leading up to her death, I think it was the happiest I'd ever seen her," Ms Ruge said.
It was not just Libby herself who was happy, however, in the days and weeks after Libby's death, the phone at Ms Ruge and Ms Harrison's house in Kiama Downs would continuously be ringing.
Calls from people that the family didn't know came through telling them how Libby had made a difference in their lives through an act of kindness.
This was a practice that her parents had seen as a child, but as she grew older into her teenage years, it was something that Libby had kept up independently.
"After she died I'm getting phone calls from people telling me 'Oh you don't know me but Libby did this'," Ms Ruge said.
"We kind of feel like she's only going to be here for a short time and she made such an impact."
As the trial ends, Libby's family and supporters are determined to ensure that Libby continues to have a positive impact.
Ms Ruge and Ms Harrison have established BeeKindLikeLibby and the Libby Ruge Smile Fund, a registered charity, The fundraising initiative is named after a tattoo Libby and a friend got saying "bee kind" just before she died.
The hope is to raise money for young people to access orthodontic treatment that they or their families may not be able to afford.
The organisation will launch its first major event on Saturday, October 29 with a black tie ball at the Novotel Wollongong North Beach, but already the fund is delivering treatment and helping people smile, just as Libby did.
"At the moment we have two young boys that have been assessed and one is waiting," Ms Ruge said.
"I think [Libby] has delivered them to us to be honest."
In a touching connection, Libby assisted the sister of one of the boys with her braces.
In addition to funding the operations, the foundation will work with dentists and orthodontists who will provide their services pro bono.
Closer to home, Libby's spirit had remained with the family.
Libby has two siblings, an older brother and sister, who Libby was close with and who have seen Libby's personality carried on.
"There are two babies in the family that are named after her now," said Ms Ruge.
"We think there'll be lots of babies in the coming years that'll have the middle name Libby."
Read more:
- Day 1: Libby Ruge trial begins as driver Singh fights charges
- Day 2: Passenger relives moment car hit Libby Ruge: court
- Day 3: 'I couldn't do anything': Singh says he lost control before crash that killed Libby
- Day 4: 'Two seconds to stop': Libby crash could have been avoided, trial hears
- Day 5: 'It's the verdict we were hoping for': Ruge family speaks after guilty verdict
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