Solving for X: 30

My parents lived in a split-level house that they basically remodeled from the inside out. When they moved away, everything had been redone. My mother beautified the yards and made them lush gardens with a pool in the back and a deck. The kitchen was widened, and the house made more accessible for my brother. Everything they did was out of love and it was a constant labor. It was always clean and smelled of cooking meat and Lemon Pledge. On the weekends it would be filled with music.

My Nanas lived in a ranch home that felt benevolently haunted. My Papas would always be in the living room while my Nanas cooked, her dish rag slung over her shoulder. In their backyard was a vast forest. The lake was a ten-minute drive and had a bridge road you crossed. It was a natural home filled with old artifacts. Her paintings and crafts were always present and decorated the home. There was always a cat who avoided me. Potatoes were a constant scent as was the warmth. Everything felt short.