When my best friend died, I couldn’t bear to delete her phone contact. Here’s why I never will

2026-03-25 - 14:20

Soon after the author Gabrielle Carey died, her name lit up my phone – causing an indescribable mix of elation and disbelief A couple of weeks after my oldest friend died, my phone rang and her name lit up the screen. It was “Gab” calling. I knew that Gabrielle Carey could not possibly be calling me but, for a few peculiar moments, I was gripped by the powerful conviction that she was. Maybe the last few weeks had been a nightmare and when I slid my thumb across the accept button, it would actually be her speaking. Maybe she was ringing to tell me her death was all a joke and that she wanted to see if I was up for a walk, needed me to help tidy her house or had a book-related question she thought I could answer. Such is the human brain; numerous thoughts like these can scuttle through your mind in microseconds. It was a complex feeling, both elation and disbelief, something I have otherwise not experienced because no one from the realm of the dead has ever tried to call me before. Perhaps the Germans have a word for this – they usually do. Continue reading...