Music legends Dionne Warwick and Whitney Houston were more than friends - they were family.

Continue reading

In an exclusive interview with ABC News, Warwick said that she spoke to Houston on Feb. 11, the day that the superstar singer died at the age of 48.

"She called me at home in Jersey - 'You're coming to the party, aren't you?'" Warwick says Houston asked her. "She was so up and ready and happy...she had everything in the world to live for,"

Warwick said that grieving the loss of Whitney, her cousin, is a day-by-day process.

"I'm really just taking it one day at a time," she said. "It's still very surreal to me."

Beyond their personal connection, Dionne and Whitney collaborated professionally on songs such as That's What Friends Are For. The personal bond, though, was something that was very deep for both.

"She basically was the little girl I never had," Warwick said.

For her, the mourning process continues, saying that she takes comfort in her faith.

"I think the comfort comes in knowing she's in good hands now," Warwick said. "I've not really had an opportunity to mourn or completely break down."