Sweet Summer Sunsets- A Robert Irwin FanFic

Ashley

We all got up and followed mum around the house, I could tell she was leading us to the little shed on the side of our property. 

So many things were going through my head. Where was Jackson? What could these keys go to? I understand my dad wanting Robert and me to get together, so did mum and I'm sure Robert's family did too. It was the perfect movie trope- two kids who grew up together falling in love. I doubted Robert felt that way about me, and as dad said, we didn't want to ruin our friendship.

Mum slid open the shed door, turning on the light. The shed was fairly big, but the others stayed at the door while I followed mum in. 

She moved around some gardening tools and other equipment before reaching the back of the shed, where there was a tarp. She turned towards me. 

"You were always with your dad, going on adventures when we moved here. He knew how much you loved going with him, so he left you this," she said, removing the tarp.

There sat dad's blue dirt bike. It was identical to the one Steve had that Robert had fixed up, just blue. 

"Dad left me the dirtbike? I don't know what I thought happened to it, but I didn't think it was here," I said, running my hands over the leather seat.

"He sure did. It may need some work done, but I filled it with petrol the other day, I figured you'd want to take it out soon. If it needs something done to it, maybe Robert can help," Mum said, admiring the bike.

"Thank you so much, mum. I know it's not like dad being here, but it's nice now having a physical piece of him," I said, wiping more tears from my eyes.

Mum reached behind her and handed me a helmet. 

"That was his too!" I said. I slipped it over my head. It fit perfectly, and it smelled like him still.

Taking off the helmet, I hugged my mum, both of us sniffling. 

"Well, who wants cake?" I said, laughing slightly after mum and I pulled away. 

"I do!" Robert said, trying to lighten the mood more. 

"You always want cake," I laughed, setting the helmet on the seat of the dirtbike and walking out of the shed.

We went back to the porch, where we all helped clean up plates and bring them inside. Going back outside, mum grabbed the cake. I picked a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, and mum had the bakery add little chocolate animals.

After cake, Wes and Luke left, giving me one last congratulation. The rest of us, mum, me, and the Irwins, all still sat around on the porch as the sun set. The guys had already taken apart the table and brought it and the chairs inside. 

Robert and I sat on the porch swing, while the rest of our families were sitting around the small porch table. I was scrolling through FaceBook when a pang of hurt hit me. Jackson couldn't come to my party after he promise he would, but he was tagged in some girl's photo on  FaceBook. The only caption was "a great evening". I got a text from him.

"Oh, Jackson texted me," I said, clicking on the message to see it.

"Oh really? What excuse did he give for not coming?" Robert said bitterly. 

"He just said he got busy," I shrugged. "But he was tagged in a photo on FaceBook, of him and some girl." I was hurt but tried not to let it bother me.  We weren't officially dating, and we did just start talking. But he said I was different. I should've known better.

I noticed Robert's grip on the edge of the porch swing.

"But are you okay? I'll beat him up if I had to," He said. I laughed, Robert would never hurt anyone on purpose. He's not that kind of person.