What do people talk about, when they haven't met for a long time?
"how have you been?"
"how was your day?"
The former would've evoked a simple "fine," or good, if the person was feeling better than usual. Then maybe a "how about you?" to hit the ball back to the other court.
The latter, however, surmises a sort of warmth and familiarity, like they've never been apart. Maybe it is also a cover up, some plaster to fill the obviously existent void. But like all temporary fix-ups, it will not last forever. Though a good type would definitely suffice for a while.

Me? I've always preferred the latter. Between the best friends, sometimes it feels like you'd never left.