Author's Note: I know it's past Isabelle's birthday by now, but this was a cute idea, so it was fun to write, anyway. I hope we actually get to do stuff on Isabelle's birthday in the next AC game, since it's kind of sad that she works all day on her birthday in New Leaf.

Birthday Gifts

It's her birthday, and Isabelle is in the Town Hall as usual, taking care of paperwork and other miscellaneous duties.

Not that she minds–Isabelle likes being busy, of course. She likes getting organized, and doing things, and preparing fun events for the villagers. She's good at it and always has been.

…Maybe a little too much at times, but the point still stands. Even so, she nearly forgets that it is her birthday until she looks up and sees the mayor standing there with a hesitant yet expectant look on her face.

"Um, Isabelle? Do you think maybe you could take a break for just a few–"

"Oh, no, no, Mayor!" she replies hastily. "There's way too much to do! I mean, the Winter Solstice is tomorrow, and we just finished taking the donations for the Zen Garden! I couldn't possibly step out of the town hall now."

Isabelle has to get together the gifts she wants to hand out tomorrow, after all. And the ceremony for the Zen Garden won't be until the day after that, but she still needs to put in the request to the builders. And the sooner she can get together her usual poppers for the celebration, the better.

"Not even for one day?"

Isabelle shakes her head. "No, Mayor! It's completely fine, really."

The mayor sighs. It's clear by this point that her assistant won't be swayed. It's not healthy, she probably wants to say. But there's no convincing Isabelle otherwise when she really gets into high gear like this.

"All right, fine. If you say so." The mayor turns around, and she's halfway back to the door when she adds, "…Happy birthday, Isabelle."

It's when her eyes drift back down to the project construction form that Isabelle notices the mayor had set down a Venus-comb shell on her desk. Isabelle smiles and takes a brief moment to examine it. Of course, it was the exact same kind of shell that the mayor had given her when she'd first moved into the town years ago. It's a small and simple gift, but it has some sentimental value nonetheless.

"Thank you, Mayor," Isabelle says to herself as she set it back down.

No, it wasn't a bad birthday at all, and Isabelle promptly decides she'll put this shell right next to the other one when she next gets the chance to go home.