Hey again! Told ya I'd update soon :p I'm going to try and be as consistent as possible, trying for a chapter a day. Hopefully you guys are enjoying it so far.
I spent the next morning doing what I usually do- walking. I needed my morning walks. Watching the sun rise to the tune of birds and chirping insects kept my spirits happy and alive. At least, they usually did. Today I walked with a hint of fear. I knew tarantulas usually came out at night, and even then normally near water. Still, I was nervous.
"Maple!" A clumsy voice called out for me.
I didn't have to look to know it was Axel. That precious child… I too shared Nan's sense of protection for him. Why he'd been allowed to live on his own was beyond me. For that matter, why was he outside by himself, where the dangers of nature lurked?
"Axel!" I rushed over to him. "You're up early, honey. Why? Why are you outside?"
"I couldn't sleep well," He looked down. "Maple, no one will tell me when Derrick will wake up."
"When Derrick will…" The words died on my lips. Did he not understand the concept of death?
"Camofrog said that Derrick past that way, but I don't understand. I tried doing some push-ups, but that didn't help."
"Honey… Do you mean passed away?"
"There's a difference?" He tilted his head.
"Honey…" I bit my lip. I had to tell him. "Axel, when animals, and people, pass away… It doesn't mean they are sleeping."
"Huh? But Derrick wasn't moving, right?"
"No you're right. But you see, the thing is, he won't be coming-"
"Axel? Maple?" A preppy voice greeted our ears.
"Oh Blaire!" I nearly hugged her. "Good morning! What are you doing here, honey?"
"Hello Blaire!" Axel blurted out with a wave.
"Morning Axel," Blaire waved back. "And Maple, I, well… I've been up all night. Packing."
"Packing?" Axel asked for me.
"Yeah…" Blaire looked around nervously. "See, I've been thinking. Tarantulas are kinda dangerous. And so are, like, scorpions right? So umm, I'm gonna move to a town that doesn't have those. You know, to be safe and junk."
"Oh… Ok," Axel said, sporting a goofy grin. "Write to me sometime!"
"I will Axel," She smiled, then turned to me. "Well, see ya around nutlet!" And with that, she was off.
Axel began rambling on about something else, but I couldn't hear him. Blaire was moving? Nobody had moved away from LuckyTown since Nan's parents went into retirement. It was simply unheard of.
As soon as I could break my shocked spell I hurried after her.
"Blaire!" I called out.
She stopped, looking back at me with a frown.
"Maple?" She asked.
"Blaire…" I stopped to catch my breath. "Blaire… Wait. Moving is a bit extreme, honey. You don't have to leave here forever! You don't have to say goodbye…"
"Umm… Maple I kinda have to," She said, backing up. "I already made a promise, so-"
"A promise? A promise to who?"
It took her awhile, but soon she sighed and spilled the truth.
"A promise to Camofrog," She confessed. "We decided to move away at the same time. You know, for moral support."
"Wait…. Camofrog is moving too?"
"Yeah, we both think it's a totally great idea."
"He didn't tell me…"
"He was gonna send letters…" She started to fidget again. "Look, nutlet, the bus is leaving soon. I gotta go. But I swear I'll keep in touch, ok? Bye!"
She practically ran off after that, like a child who knew he was doing wrong. Maybe that analogy wasn't so incorrect, but who could blame her? She was scared; she was doing something that would make her feel safe. Apparently Camofrog was doing the same, though I was shocked that anything could really scare that frog.
I stood there for a while, soaking it all in. Losing Derrick yesterday had been hard, but in a way I'd already lost him. To see these two leave… it was hard to swallow. But I convinced myself it was not forever, surely they would write and after I told them about how great LuckyTown was doing they'd return. Yeah, I would be positive. I was Maple, after all.
Seeing the new fabric designs always cheered me up, so I started to make my way to the Able Sister's. By the time I'd gotten there my happy thoughts had bombarded my brain, so much so that I was no longer sad. People moved all the time, and this was only temporary!
"Hello Maple!" Mable's greeting voice shook me from my thoughts. "You seem happy, something on your mind?"
"Oh me? I…" Should I tell them? Why not? "I was just thinking about the return party I'd throw for Blaire and Camofrog when they return. They moved away today, you know."
"What!" Both Able sisters looked at me with worry. "Moved away!"
"Umm…yes…" I said, my voice a hint softer. "I mean it's not a big deal if you think about it."
"That's so sad," Mable sighed. "I hate losing friends."
"We didn't just lose friends, Mable," Sable said, stopping her sewing machine. "We lost customers. I was just working on Blair's custom ordered dress. I'd been planning to work on it all day. Now there's no need…"
"Sister…" Mable looked up.
"That's a good thing!" I clapped my paws. Again they looked at me like I'd just started barking, but there was no way I would let them be sad. "Sable, how many times do you get to take a break?"
"Me? A break?" She blinked. "Well…"
"She's right sis!" Mable said, backing me up. "I can't remember the last time I saw you without fabric between your paws."
"See? It's perfect!" I smiled. "Blaire gave you the best parting gift, a day off! Go out and enjoy it."
"Well…" Sable was thinking. "I suppose I could go visit Tom."
"There you go," I held the door open. "Come on, I'll walk you there."
And so we left, me smiling and happy and Sable looking down on the ground somberly. I tried to keep the pace to a cheery march, but it did nothing to stop her eternal frown.
"Hey Maple," She finally asked me. "Do you really think it's good that two residents moved away?"
"No, not really," I answered honestly. "But you have to look on the bright side sometimes, you know?"
"I suppose…"
When we got to Nookington's we found Tom Nook counting what appeared to be thousands of bells. He briefly looked up to smile at us, then continued while humming.
"Tom…" Sable walked over to him. "Where did you get all that money?"
"Blaire and Camofrog," He replied with a whistle. "They paid off their mortgages today, so they could move."
"That's how much their houses cost!" I gasped. It was a good thing I'd inherited mine.
"You should save money Tom…" Sable's eyes grew wide. "That's a nice pocket to have on a rainy day."
"I could do that Sable," He said. "Or- I could invest the money and improve the houses. That way I can charge a bigger mortgage."
"Tom…"
"And after that gets paid, we can finally pay for our honeymoon." He smiled.
That made Sable blush. Tom had proposed a few seasons ago, but the wedding had been delayed until they could afford their ultimate vacation- a trip around the world. Tom had come close to doing that in his earlier years but Sable had never strayed outside the city. It would be breathtaking, the most wonderful experience.
But experiences cost money, and so the two worked doubly hard. Sable sewed with all her love, convincing even the snootiest of citizens to wear her designs over Gracie's. She made only a little more money, but it was enough to keep her happy. She could see her dream progressing.
Nook, however, had never been a patient raccoon. If he could find a quick way to obtain the money, he would.
"I don't know Tom," Sable shook her head. "Why sink everything into these two houses? We could set that money aside and be half way there."
"And wait how much longer?" He asked her. "A year? Two?"
"None of that matters to me, as long as the end result is spending forever with you."
"Sable…" Tom looked away.
I chuckled to myself. It was clear these two were meant for each other. I only wished I had had a similar childhood crush. Oh well, maybe the next citizen who moved in…
"I know you worry," Nook continued again. "But trust me, I've been in this game for a long time. Investing is the fastest way to obtain our dreams. We will be happy soon, I know it."
"Oh Tom…" She looked down for a moment, then perked her head up again and smiled. "Do what you feel is best. I have faith in you."
As those two flirted around something shiny caught my eye. I hated to interrupt them, but I had to ask.
"Hey Tom Nook," I pointed at the object. "What is that?"
"Oh that?" He asked me. "Why, what you're looking at is an Apple TV."
"I'll take it," I said. I didn't even wait to hear the price.
