Relatives by marriage but close friends by choice, these locals say they drew the lucky straw when it comes to in-laws.
BILLIE FABRIS & ASHLEIGH FABRIS
“I was impressed by her before she even became Dane’s girlfriend,” says Billie Fabris of her daughter-in-law Ashleigh.
“I was working at The Ryan Catholic College when I saw her perform a contemporary dance piece at a College concert. I literally went home that afternoon and told Dane about this beautiful girl. Fast forward a few weeks and I walked into my house one afternoon and there was Dane talking to Ashleigh! They went to different schools but met on the bus and, within weeks, they were a couple!”
Even though she was only 15 when she met Billie, Ashleigh remembers thinking Billie was super stylish and incredibly warm and bubbly. “Billie is one of the most warm, caring, compassionate, generous, loyal and humble people you’ll ever be lucky enough to meet,” Ashleigh says. “I love that she wears her heart on her sleeve.”
Billie and Ashleigh have a lot of fun when they spend time together and have been known to belt out a Grammy-worthy performance of ‘Praying’ by Keisha when the mood strikes. “The way she talks to her much-loved fur babies is so endearing,” Billie says. “None of them get their real names — they all get these funny little nicknames. For example, Hugo the miniature dachshund gets ‘Hoodie Bear’ among others.”
While it may sound hard to believe, Billie says she and Ashleigh are so similar in their values, tastes and traits that they rarely, if ever, disagree. “Except for my husband Frank’s pasta,” Billie says. “Ash loves the red spaghetti bolognese and I love the white creamy one so he usually cooks both, so it’s a win-win!
“I love being Ashleigh’s mother-in-law and I can’t wait to be a grandmother because I know she’s going to be the most amazing mother!”