His uncle was all right, Robbie thought as he waited for the man to come visit. Uncle Foster visited at least twice every week since they first met a month ago and he called whenever he couldn’t come. Robbie knew all the financial issues were being taken care of by his father’s lawyers and the housekeeper was paid until she wasn’t needed anymore. She got a nice severance pay so that she wouldn’t have to search for another job straight away. She was really happy with that, she told Robbie herself. She was going to go on a cruise after she was done here.

Robbie himself wasn’t so chipper. His uncle still hadn’t made his final decision, but Robbie had a feeling that maybe this was it. Yesterday on the phone his uncle told him they needed to talk. To discuss Robbie’s options, his future. Robbie didn’t much like the sick feeling in his stomach at the sound of that. His uncle warned him to dress in comfortable clothes today because they were going for a trip. Robbie discovered that his uncle was very much the outdoorsy type. He always wanted to be outside in the nature. Robbie hasn’t spent so much time in the nature since his parents had sent him to that summer camp when he was eight. He’d come back with a bad rash, uneasy stomach from the food they’d served there and a bad case of pneumonia. Since then, his parents had opted for more urban entertainments for his summer holidays.

There was a knock on the door and Robbie went to open it. The housekeeper knew his uncle was coming and allowed Robbie to greet him himself.

“Robbie! Good to see you kid!” Uncle Foster grinned and bent down to hug Robbie. Robbie hugged him back awkwardly. Neither of his parents had been the affectionate type so he had trouble getting used to his uncle’s touchy-feely ways. It wasn’t that he didn’t like it, he just wasn’t used to it.

“It’s good to see you too, Uncle Foster.” Robbie had been given permission to call his uncle by just his given name, but it felt disrespectful, so he called him uncle Foster instead. The man didn’t seem to mind. “Shall we go?” Robbie asked picking up a picnic basket the housekeeper had prepared for them. His uncle nodded, smiling widely, and led the way outside. “Miriam, we’re going!” Robbie shouted over his shoulder and then left after the housekeeper wished them a good day.

The ride to the park wasn’t too long. His uncle picked up the food basket and they hiked into the middle of a forest. Robbie’s uncle found a nice spot in a middle of a small meadow, and they spread the blanket included with the basket and sat down. They ate their lunch before uncle Foster started the dreaded conversation.

“Robbie, I know you must be wondering why it took me so long to tell you that you can live with me.” Robbie stayed quiet. His uncle looked very serious, so he decided to listen before he said anything. “See,” uncle Foster continued, “the thing is, you living with me is a little bit complicated.” The man sighed, raked his hand through his hair then huffed. “Hell, it is a lot complicated, okay? The place where I live is remote and only certain people are allowed to live there. We make sure nobody else stays there.”

“What, like a refugee camp?” Robbie asked. “Or...” he was suddenly nervous “or a sect... Are you in a cult, uncle Foster?” Robbie had watched documentaries about refugee camps and cults. Neither of the two were pretty. He wasn’t sure he wanted to live in a place like this. Fortunately, his uncle gave a startled laugh and shook his head.

“No, Robbie, I’m not in a cult, and it’s not a refugee camp either. It’s more like... a sanctuary. A sanctuary for very special people. Very special and vulnerable people. So we make sure that nobody who isn’t special themselves moves into our town. We don’t want anyone to try and hurt these special people.”

“Oh.” Robbie thought about it as he chewed on a piece of cheese. “So it’s kind of like sanatorium for disabled people? And only disabled people and nurses and doctors can live there?” That sounded depressing. Robbie had never been much around sick or disabled people except when his mother took him to this charity fete for people with down syndrome. There were a few kids with down syndrome there and they’d been nice enough, but that was Robbie’s only experience with disabled people. His uncle broke into his musing when he cleared his throat.

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“That’s not exactly the case either Robbie. But let’s forget about it for a moment. See, I’m like... Like a mayor or... or police chief for these special people. I make sure they’re well taken care of and safe. So for me to take you to live with me... You’d have to be special as well.”

“But... I’m not. Am I?” Robbie was getting more and more confused with this conversation.

“No, kid, you’re not.” His uncle answered and his face grew even more serious. “But you could be. There is a way to make you as special as these other people living where I live. But it is very dangerous and painful. You would be sick for most of your summer holidays and then, you would never be the same. Your entire life would change irrevocably. You could never go back to being... normal.” Robbie thought about his uncle’s words for a while.

“Did you have to go through this? To become special, I mean?”

“Yes kid, I did. But I was much older than you, an adult, and I didn’t exactly have a choice. It was an accident. You do have a choice. If you decide you don’t want it, that it’s too much, we will speak with your lawyers and arrange for someone to live with and look after you permanently. You’ll keep going to your school and then to a university of your choice. I will try and visit as much as I can, but it will be difficult. My position in town demands a lot of my time, I had to do a lot of finagling to come here as often as I did over the last month.” Uncle Foster grew silent, giving Robbie time to think this over.

He was pretty sure he already knew what he wanted. He really liked uncle Foster, who wasn’t like most adults. He treated Robbie like an equal. Explained things rather than dismissing Robbie straight away. He was funny and used words like ‘finagling’ and ‘irrevocably’ which Robbie had to check in a thesaurus when he got home. He hugged Robbie a lot and seemed interested in Robbie’s likes and dislikes. And if he worked with disabled people then he must also be a good man. The man might be a bit too outdoorsy and have a bit of a boring job (not a secret spy after all, Robbie sighed inwardly) but Robbie liked him nonetheless. If he stayed at home his life would be safe but predictable. If he went with his uncle he at least had a chance for a real family. Speaking of.

“Do you have a wife, Uncle Foster? Children? You never said.”

“I didn’t?” his uncle seemed surprised. “Well, it’s not a secret, I guess it just never came up. No, I don’t have a wife or children. I’m gay.”

“Huh.” Robbie thought about it for a second, taking another bite of cheese. “A husband then?” For some reason the question startled a laugh out of his uncle.

“No, Robbie. I do not have a husband. I haven’t met the right man yet.”

“Oh.” Robbie frowned, then patted his uncle’s knee like his uncle did to him whenever he tried to reassure him. “Don’t worry. You’ll meet him. You’re not that old yet. My father was fifty something when he met my mum.” Robbie scratched his nose when a question hit him. “How old are you anyway?”

“I’m thirty-three. Your mother was twelve years older than me.”

“Huh, see, like I said, You’re not too old yet. You’ll meet your perfect man.” His uncle laughed and his eyes crinkled in the corners. Robbie liked how they did that.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, kid.”

“No problem.” Robbie took another bite of cheese, chewed and swallowed before asking. “So, how sick am I gonna be during the summer? Are we talking like, sit inside and watch telly all day kinda sick or, spend your entire summer holidays in the hospital, kind? And when you say painful do you mean ouch I stubbed my finger or oh my gosh I broke both my arms and legs and hit my head at the same time?” His uncle gave him another startled laugh. Robbie liked making the man laugh. It seemed like his uncle didn’t do nearly enough of it. Uncle Foster sobered but still gave him a small apologetic smile.

“I’m afraid it’s gonna be the second with the pain, and when it comes to being sick... Well, you’re not gonna land in hospital, but you’ll probably spend most of your time in bed, too tired to even get up and watch telly. I wish there was another way, but there isn’t.”

“Well, that sucks.” Robbie stated. It really did. He hoped he would have entire holidays to get better acquainted with his uncle and the place he was going to live in from now on. “So, is there a school in that place where you live? Will I be able to make new friends there?”

“As a matter of fact, there is. We even have our own, very exclusive, university in town. It’s one of the best in the country but open only to the select few.”

“Let me guess.” Robbie thought he was following now. “Only the special people can go there?”

“You’re right in one, kid. So, does it mean that you made your decision?”

“Yeah.” Robbie felt a sudden bout of nerves. “I’ll go with you and become special. That is, if you want me to?”

“I’d like nothing better, kid.” His uncle grinned broadly. “You’ll love it there, you’ll see. And after you went through your transformation life is gonna be so much better for you, too. Just wait and see. Wait and see.” All of a sudden his uncle scooped him up into a giant hug. Robbie gave a startled squeal at first but then laughed. His uncle could be really silly sometimes.