My friend Luis/Max 2 The return of Max

Luis never imagined that those weeks living as "Max", Tomás' dog, would be the beginning of something much deeper. Time passed, the group's jokes remained only as anecdotes and videos in the chat, but within both of them, there was a secret nostalgia for that strange connection that arose between "owner" and "pet" - although neither was willing to confess it.

The return of Luis (from his perspective)

On a typical Friday, Luis decided to write to Tomás. He had felt for days the urge to return, but now not under hypnosis. He wanted to be Max again, without excuses. The conversation was more awkward than expected; both burst out laughing nervously, until Luis said it directly:

—Tomás, if I arrive tomorrow, you... would you let Max come back for the weekend? But this time, I choose it.

Tomás remained silent on the other end of the phone, and for a second Luis was scared. Then, Tomás responded with a soft voice:

—If you want... I also miss having Max at home.

Luis could barely sleep that night, divided between shame and an adrenaline rush.

Tomás (Tomás' view)

Tomás never told anyone how much he missed the days with "Max". He got used to the ritual, and even talked to himself when arriving home from work, expecting to see his friend's "tail" wagging happily. He agreed with Luis on a subtle code: no one should know, it would be their little secret.

The first Saturday together without hypnosis, Tomás felt strange... but seeing Luis, without any trance, putting on the bandana with a complicit smile, dissolved all discomfort. Soon, the complicity became routine. Every weekend, Luis arrived with a small suitcase, transformed into Max, and they enjoyed together: walks, games, and private jokes.

Often, Tomás found himself looking into his eyes with tenderness, stroking his head, and wondering what he felt exactly. Was it strange friendship or something more? One day, in the middle of a walk in the park, Luis "sniffed" dramatically, pulled Tomás' arm, and both fell onto the grass, dying of laughter. When they looked at each other, Tomás noticed the affectionate seriousness in Luis' gaze; without words, he felt that something had changed.

Max (from the "dog"'s perspective)

In this new Max, there was no trance - only contagious freedom. He felt the world more luminous, Luis' problems seemed to stay outside Tomás' house. It was a game, yes, but also a new and secret way of trusting and playing together.

Max had fun memorizing new tricks: opening doors, pretending to sleep, "protecting the house" from Tomás' grandmother (who saw them several times but thought they were just acting for some viral video). Max even designed his own "canine curriculum", absurd drawings that he hid in the pantry for Tomás to find.

But deep down, Max noticed that Tomás' laughter sounded different when they were alone; that the caresses were lo...