Dear Prudence,
I am a college student. Two of my closest friends, Alison and Lucy, had a falling out. Thankfully, I was able to maintain my close relationships with both of them through a difficult period of being caught in the middle. I see both separately, and they are now friends/friendly but are definitely less close than before. Alison is planning a trip and invited me and some of our other friends to go with her, but doesn’t want to invite Lucy due to their falling out. I really want to go on the trip but am terrified to tell Lucy as I don’t want it to appear as if I am picking sides.
How do I gently tell Lucy that I am going on the trip with Alison? In a perfect world, I’d go on a trip with them both as I love them equally!
— Spring Heartbreaker