#2

Every time I enter a relationship, and for me, that necessarily means "long-term," I set my girlfriend on speed dial. She's always #2. #1 is my voicemail, and even if it hasn't always been the default setting, I'd probably still make it dial to myself for convenience and arrogance's sake. I digress.

#2 is always my girl. I like to think that my speed dials are in increasing order of people whom I call the most, but really, it's a combination of those most important in my life and those whose numbers I most dial.
#3 is my brother.
#4 is Helen, who has become my most reliable friend in times of emotional distress.
#5 is my father and #6 is my mother because my dad used to work in a 510 area and my mom's number ends in 666 (of course). It was just convenient to associate their numbers with those numbers respectively.
#7-#9 have changed throughout the years, but it's usually Sean in there somewhere, who, other than Helen, is probably my best friend (it's a tie!).

And when I am single, #2 is open. To be my #2 means that your survival is second only to my own, that if there was any physical way to put you ahead of me, I would. #2 means that I care for you deeply, that my phone, which I have on my body at all times, is ready to connect to you at a moment's notice. #2 means that you are first on the list of people I want to talk to, to see and to be with. All clause-ending prepositions and cliches aside, there has always been something odd in the way we show that we care about people, and speed dial is definitely one of them.

As always, I'm accepting applications for #2 on my speed dial. If anything, it's less than 3. tehehehe.