'Amr bin Al- As (a companion) asked the Prophet ﷺ: "O Messenger of Allah, who do you love the most?" The Prophet ﷺ replied: "Aisha." The companion asked: "From among the men?" The Prophet ﷺ replied: "Her father (Abu Bakr)." (Sahih al-Bukhari, 3711; Sahih Muslim, 2449).
The Prophet ﷺ said: "If I were to take a close friend (khalil) other than my Lord, I would have taken Abu Bakr, but he is my brother and my companion." (Sahih al-Bukhari, 3656; Sahih Muslim, 2383).