Isabelle tried not to cry as she watched the tiny boat rick and rock its way out into the sea, but it was so hard holding back. Having her brother Digby beside her helped some, though. The evening sun filled the sky with vibrant, orange colors.

"Digby..." Isabelle sniffled.

"Hmm."

"He's really gone..." Isabelle's ears folded against her head, and her tail drooped.

"He's still alive, Isabelle, so it's not like he's REALLY gone. We won't get to see him for a while, that's all. He's been mayor here for almost as long as either of us could remember, but now it's time for him to retire. You saw how excited he was to move to the island. This is what he wants, right? Gotta let your loved ones go when the time comes, as the old saying goes. He'll be fine and dandy running all those fancy little contests with Kapp'n's family."

A few moments of contemplative silence passed on by. Digby could only ponder what was going through his little sister's head at that moment. The boat was already out of sight.

"Digby..."

"Huh?"

"You talk too much sometimes."

"W-What?" Digby was stunned.

"Let me miss him as much as I want." Isabelle said, and that was final.

Digby, reading his sister's expression, gave a curt nod. He understood. The mayor hadn't been only their boss, but also their hero. It was thanks to him that they had worthwhile childhoods, that they were able to learn and grow in a safe environment, and that they had a place to go home to every day after school. Sure, he was a completely separate species, but in all respects, he had been their father.

The brother and sister had long since reached adulthood, so it was up to them to take care of themselves now, and it was time for the old man to take a long-awaited break.

Isabelle and Digby stepped off the pier to rejoin the other villagers, all of them chattering amongst themselves over who would be their beloved mayor's new replacement. Isabelle did not say much for the rest of the night.

Isabelle stared intently at the door across from her, waiting, waiting.

'Oh, I can't wait for the mayor to come and ask for a new public works project!'

Her tail wagged back and forth.

'I can't wait!'

The door did not open. However, Isabelle never once took her eyes away from it, just in case. She had packed several bags of high-grade coffee beans from Brewster's to keep herself up all around the clock, waiting for the mayor to show up.

Her tail wagged even faster. She was super excited.

Two cups of coffee, wafts of steam rising from the caramel-colored brew, were set before Isabelle and Reese. The dog secretary quietly took her cup, while the pink alpaca felt a little more vocal in showing her appreciation.

"Thank you very much for the coffee, Brewster." Reese bobbed her head in nod to the quiet pigeon. Brewster nodded with a solitary 'coo' and resumed wiping down the empty cups. That seemed to be his way of keeping himself entertained outside of actually making coffee itself.

Isabelle took a sip, but she nearly recoiled from the intense burn it left on her tongue. She wasn't a puppy anymore, it's been a long time since then, but she still couldn't handle hot food or drinks. She asked for some milk, and Brewster provided, making the act of drinking coffee a much easier task. Reese, however, was perfectly fine with her cup as it was. Re-Tail had closed for the day, and Cyrus had been put to bed. It was time to relax.

Reese drank from her cup, and placed it down again. "So...how are things between you and the new mayor? I've met him, and he seems like quite a nice, young-"

Isabelle slammed her head rather hard onto the wooden counter. "I...I just don't know why I never get asked to help with anything...or why I'm always left alone in the town hall...or why the mayor stopped showing up after I gave the oranges and the watering can...why...why..."

Isabelle's head was turned away from Reese, but the alpaca could hear definite sobbing come from the dog. Reese couldn't deny it, she felt guilty for having asked such a question in the first place. Brewster started wiping away the puddle of Isabelle's tears with his rag.

"Umm..e-excuse me...I...I heard you were causing trouble for some of the other citizens..." Isabelle wiggled back and forth in a nervous fit, trying to keep herself calm and professional but failing utterly at it. In her paws was a bucket and a bar of soap. She could barely be taken seriously, not just because of her baby-face, but because she acted as if she were confronting a ferocious dragon, and not one of the few civilians who lived next door to her.

Alli the Alligator glared at the yellow dog. She had been woken up in the middle of her afternoon nap for this? "Buzz off!"

"But...but I need to wash your mouth out with soap...y-you need to be n-nicer..."

"I told ya to leave me alone, pipsqueak! Don't make me gobble you whole!" And with that last threat, the angry animal slammed the door shut in Isabelle's face. A few seconds later, poor Isabelle finally gave up and walked away, her head hanging low. The mayor happened to witness all of this from the cover of an apple tree.

The next day, Alli and her house mysteriously vanished from the town, and no one spoke her name again.

Isabelle had only gotten to visit the shopping district a few times, her job not usually allowing much free time, but it always left her with a sense of longing.

She wanted to go into the Super T&T and buy new furnishing for town hall, she wanted to visit the museum and see all of the wonderful fish and insects, and she especially wanted to buy herself some new clothes at the Able Sisters' store.

'It's not like I have any money, though...' Isabelle thought. Digby took care of both of their bank accounts, because Isabelle was admittedly bad with money. Unfortunately for her, though, Digby happened to be incredibly stingy when it came to spending bells. He refused to buy anything except necessities aside from some very rare occasions. He held Isabelle under the same rules, which meant she had to own several pairs of her secretary outfit and little else. Isabelle pouted into her little paws as she leaned over her desk; she couldn't help being bad with cash, especially when there are so many good things to buy.

'I don't really need a new chair, or new plants...I just want something nice to wear...' Isabelle thought.

Suddenly, the door opened.

"O-Oh, Mayor! Hello!" Isabelle almost bounced out of her seat.

The mayor nodded at her, but, as expected, said nothing else. Instead, the mayor scrounged about in several pockets before finally pulling out a folded outfit. Isabelle gasped. The mayor placed the item onto the secretary's desk before leaving again. It was as if it had been nothing but a wind passing through. Isabelle stared, stunned, at the outfit left behind for her.

'This is...the dress I had been looking at in the store last week?'

Now that she thought about it, the store changed stock every day. And the mayor had been going out of town quite a lot lately...had it been in search of this dress?

Isabelle blushed red-hot as she held the dress close to her.

Digby watched the mayor out of the corner of his eye.

'Please...'

The mayor, having left the post office, quickly darted past to enter the Nooklings' store.

'Please...'

After a few minutes in there, the mayor stepped out and went further down the road for the Able Sisters'.

'Please...'

With that done, the mayor, still running in a hurry, came back in Digby's direction, but passed him entirely to cross the railroad and return to town. Digby clenched his teeth tight behind a grinning veil.

'Please, won't somebody come and look at these homes already?'