Authors Note: This is my first time publishing so if the formatting is weird I'm so sorry!

Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! It was bittersweet writing this chapter but I really love this song and writing about the boarding house seemed like such a must.

The song and characters obviously don't belong to me, I'm not that cool. I'm simply inspired by them.

"The House That Built Me"- Miranda Lambert

It had been years since I set foot back here. After my grandparents died and I went away to college, my parent's decided that maybe it would be best to just sell the boarding house and follow me across the country. So really, I had no real reason to be back.

Except my childhood best friend, Gerald was going to be getting married to his own high school sweetheart, or childhood sweetheart, whatever. So after almost 10 years, I was back in Hillwood.

"So the rehersal starts at 5, what do you wanna do till then?" Gerald asked me.

"I don't know I just kinda wanted to take a walk around the neighborhood. You know"

"Always the romantic" Gerald laughed as he turned onto his parent's street.

"You know me"

"Well, yeah, you haven't been back for like what? 10 years?"

"Yeah. Everything already looks so different."

"Yeah, things really changed around here. Much less small mom and pop shops and more commercial. Lots of the old places are gone."

I felt a lump in my throat thinking that maybe one of those places was the old boarding house. What would I feel to see my old home? What would happen if I walked down Vine Street and realized that the Sunset Arms was no longer there?

Mr. Potts had bought the place from my parents but that was almost 10 years ago. Who's to say that the place still stood? That he was even still the owner.

"Well, don't be late to the rehersal." Gerald snapped me back to reality "can't do much without my best man" After all these years we still did our childish handshake.

"Don't worry. I won't be too long." I tell him.

"Alright, well I'm gonna go entertain family" he says rolling his eyes "Nana Johanssen is driving Timberly and Mom crazy"

"Ok. Have fun"

"Sure, fun" he says. I walk down the streets, taking notice to the shops that have indeed changed. Slaussen's was no longer there, in its place stood a popular chain coffee shop. Mrs. Vitelo's shop now housed a sandwich shop, several other shops seemed to have been demolished and in it's place was a large chain grocery store. Many new housing complexes were up, some town houses, a new bank. I finally arrive on my old street and begin walking past the old spot where Gerald Field stood and I smiled when I saw that the field still was there. Though now it housed well trimmed grass and benches along with a water fountain, about a dozen kids played and for a moment I was transported back to almost 20 years ago when the old gang and I used to play ball. A little blonde girl screamed at the others that they needed to move in because the kid who was up to bat couldn't hit the ball. Man, was this not like a blast to the past? I knew I only had a few hours until I had to get back to get ready for the rehersal and I needed to change still so I kept walking.

When I got to the place my jaw couldn't help but drop. Though the exterior looked like it had some work done, my house, well, my old house still stood. The sign that said Sunset Arms was no longer there, the front door was different as were the windows, much bigger. The old houses that were once our neighbors seemed to have been demolished and rebuilt as well.

I raised a trembling hand to the brick, then looked up to the window that was once mine, closing my eyes and remembering my old room. How Grandma and Grandpa had made that my room and how much I loved the skylight, loved being able to look up at the clouds passing by as I day dreamed about the future. I remembered my red flipout couch and how everyone thought my room was the coolest, that even Sid tried to pass it off as his own that one time with Lorenzo. I remembered my weird potato alarm clock that Grandpa and I built together when I was 8.

I remembered how whenever I'd open the front door, the heard of animals would come bolting out, including the stray cats that Grandma would bring in and followed by Abner. Abner, my favorite pet. Not many city kids can say that they had a pet pig but I did. I remember when Abner finally got old, Grandpa made a joke about how they should've eaten him when he was brand new and how Mom rolled her eyes and shook her head laughing. And when Abner died Grandpa suggested we burry him in the yard.

I remember all the talks we'd have in Grandpa's office, which really was nothing more than a bathroom but he gave me so much advice in this house. There are so many memories and so many great moments that were made in this house.

The house that housed several crazy people that I called family before I had Mom and Dad back. I remembered Mr Hyuhnn and how OCD he was about lint in the dryer, how he would sing in the shower and when he was helping grandma with the cooking. Mr. Kokoshka! How can one forget Mr. Kokoshka! Poor Susie having to put up with his lazy ass for so many years. Mr. Potts too, man, all the memories.

But I remember how strange and empty the boarding house felt without my granparent's one they passed. First Grandma and then Grandpa. Soon after, Susie and Mr. Kokoshka divorced so they left too. Mom started saying that she would love to have a house in the suburbs, Dad saying how nice it would be to live on the beach. I remember they'd always look at Home and Garden magazines, talking about a vegetable garden, and hammocks and porches and firepits.

At that point I had just gotten my college acceptance letters and when I decided that I would be going to Duke University in North Carolina, mom decided to check out the real estate and fell in love with Southern Architecture. Soon after I started my Freshman year in college, they sold the boarding house and bought Mom's dream home.

Like I said, I didn't see a reason to come back. Though I thought of Hillwood and the old gang, coming back home seemed like it would hurt. Gerald went to school in California and we'd take turns flying out to see each other and still talked, he told me about how he and Pheobe were getting serious and it scared the hell out of him but he couldn't be without her. I envied that and was happy that he found someone as great as Pheobe, so naturally I had to be at their wedding even though it would be in our hometown.

I wish I could see the place one more time. I wish I could see my old home, see my old room one more time. I wondered if a kid slept in there and got to gaze up at the sky like I did and dream of his future. I wondered if a married couple lived in there and if they were as happy as Grandma and Grandpa had been for so many years.

I didn't realize it but I found my eyes watering.

"Hey. You ok?" it was the little blonde girl from Gerald field.

"Oh. Um. Yes"

"Why are you out here like a weirdo? You gonna knock or what?"

"Oh no. You see, I used to live in this house. And I was just passing by and thinking of all the good times I had here"

"Oh. Was it a really long time ago?"

"Yeah."

"Did you want to look inside?"

"Um…no" I said shaking my head.

"Hmm. You sure?"

"Do you live here?"

"Yeah. We moved in last year. Which was your room?"

"The one with the skylight"

"Hey! That's my room!"

"It's a great room, huh?"

"Yeah. It inspires me to write"

"write?"

"Yep. The sky is my muse sometimes." I can't help but laugh at this little girl. "So? You wanna come in?"

"Um. Yeah."

"Great! Come on!" the little girl said as she gripped two of my fingers. "Take your shoes off. My mom hates when we wear shoes in here" she says as she leads me inside. The floor is hardwood and the staircase isn't the old rickety oak, but rather a chic white. Everything looks like it's been changed, walls knocked out and given more of a contemporary classic look. It looks like something out of one of Mom's old decorating magazines. It hurts to not see the communal phone , though I guess an average family doesn't need that. This is the house that built me but it has changed, guess things can't stay the same.

"I'm Frankie by the way"

"Frankie?"

"Yeah." She smiles "this is the part you tell me your name."

"Oh yeah, Arnold"

"Ok, come on Arnold, lemme give you the grand ol tour" she pulls me towards the kitchen and dining room, and prattles on.

"…we moved from New York City actually. My parents divorced three years ago and Mommy wanted me to have a more normal kid life. Whatever that means. But I like it here. My grandparents live close by and grandpa spoils me rotten and it's cool cause I can go out across the street to the lot and play with my friends"

"Yeah I saw you earlier. I used to play at that lot too"

"Yeah so did my mom. She said it was Gerald field. Come on let me show you my room!"

I follow her to the end of the hall where there is no longer a pull down ladder but instead a small staircase leading up the a room that says's "Frankie" on the outside. She pulls me in and opens the door. The room still looks so similar to mine, the carpeting and wallpaper of course is different but the layout is the same. The walls are mostly white with a pale pink acent wall, twinkle lights through out the room, white furniture. "Hey Arnold! Watch this!" she says as she uses a clicker to reveal my couch, reupholstered to a light grey, but still. I can't help but smile when I see her smile. She's happy here. She's as happy as I was. My memories were made here, most of who I am was built in these walls but my time has passed and now it was her turn. And maybe, years from now, she will move away and return here to a little kid beaming and showing off his room like I did and have this same realization.

"Whatta' ya think Arnold?"

"It's great. I really hope you are as happy here as I was. Hillwood was great and this house is great too. Thanks for letting me in and showing me around Frankie."

"You're welcome. I'm glad you got to see your house one more time"

"Your house" I corrected. She smiled once more "I should get going. I have somewhere I have to be"

"Ok." She nods as we walk out, she waves from the stoop and I wave back walking away from the house that built me.

"Francesca, what are you doing? I told you that you need to get ready for Auntie Phoebe's wedding rehersal"

"I know Mom but you see what happened was…"

"Not another word missy! I can't be late. We can't be late!"

"I know, I know, the flower girl and maid of honor can't be late…I know."

"Hurry up and go clean up and change. The rehersal starts at 5, it's already 4:15!"

"Fine Mom." The little girl said to the blonde.

AN2: Any guesses to who is Frankie's mom? ^_^