Dear Prudence,
Six months ago, I got engaged. Wedding planning has been stressful and unfortunately, I lashed out at a friend. I’ve felt horrible ever since. I’m sad that I acted that way and hurt my friend’s feelings. She has since forgiven me, although she has pulled away: not initiating spending time together, making excuses when I initiate, not coming to my social events, even muting me on Instagram. Several months have gone by and we have not seen each other in person. I have done everything I can to make this right: apologized multiple times, continued to reach out via text, etc. Normally, I would let us grow close again naturally, but with the wedding coming up, I have to make a decision about whether she should be a bridesmaid. On the one hand, I don’t want to add to my anxiety by including someone who seems to be politely backing away from our friendship. On the other hand, to not include her might seal the fate of our friendship, and I’m worried our mutual friends will be caught in the middle.
—Unhappy Bride