It all started with a phone call that brought me to my knees. I had just gotten off work when I looked at my phone and saw I had an abnormal amount of missed calls, texts and voicemails. I looked at my phone but in my rush to get home I decided to wait till I got to my house to respond to everyone.  I had just walked in the door when I got the call that changed everything.  When the phone rang, I just knew something was wrong.  It was my best friend calling at midnight on a school night which he hardly ever did. I stared at the phone for quite some time afraid to pick it up.  When I finally answered it, I heard his voice quiver and he told me “Steven has been in a wreck.” I hung up not wanting to hear anymore, because I already knew what was coming next. My parents walked in the room and I saw their tear stained faces and I fell to the ground.  Through my tears I yelled “did he survive?” My mother just shook her head no, as tears flowed down her face. I began to sob, “He couldn’t have died. It must be a mistake” I screamed.

 Images began to flash in my mind of memories with Steven. He had been my friend since kindergarten.  He was the only one who was allowed to call me goofy nicknames.  He was the one who would call me before school just to sing that dreadful song “Hey There Delilah “every single morning at 7 am. How I hated that song. I hated it so much that he decided to start calling me Delilah, just to annoy me.  But no one could ever stay mad at Steven. He was the type of guy who brought flowers for no occasion. He would wash your car without being asked. The memories ended and I knew there was no way he was dead.

             I didn’t want to believe it.  I had just seen him the day before. He waltzed into my work in his normal charming manner singing “Hey there Delilah” as loud as he could.  Embarrassed, I laughed and rolled my eyes. We talked for hours, before he hugged me goodbye and promised to be at my graduation that weekend.

       I began to cry harder as I realized he would not be there. “There must have been a mistake” I said as I picked up my phone to call him hoping he would answer. I was trying to fight the thoughts that I knew were true.  My mom grabbed my phone and hugged me saying “Tabitha, it’s true. Steven is gone, but not forever. You will see him again in Heaven.”

     Before I knew it we were in the car on the way to his parents' house and I tried to control my tears. I ran out of the car and saw my best friend waiting and fell in his arms. The days passed like a blur and I lost total track of time. I sat through the funeral and graduation, but they felt like the same event. There were no posters saying “Way to go Delilah, you did it. I’m so proud of you. ” Instead, there was a sea of faces all trying to pretend nothing had happened.

     Although it has been years since Steven died the event still brings me to tears.  “Hey There Delilah” is now one of my favorite songs and  I miss the moments I had with him, but I know I will see him again.  I know when I get to Heaven he will be there singing “Hey there Delilah” and I will roll my eyes, because I will get to hear it everyday for the rest of eternity. Eternity is a long time, maybe by then he will have learned to sing on key.