Someone returning tells you they missed you. It does not tell you anything has changed. Most returns are a mood, not a decision, and the same thing that made him leave is still there unless he says otherwise — unprompted, specifically, before you ask.
You don't owe warmth just because he's warm now, and you also don't have to be cold to prove a point.
Did he explain the absence without being asked? An unprompted account is someone who has thought about it. 'Hey stranger' is someone who hasn't.
“good to hear from you. i'd want to understand what happened before picking anything back up.”
“hey stranger indeed. where'd you go”
“you disappeared with no explanation. if you want to talk, start there.”
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Was It Casual is for reflection, not therapy or professional advice.