DR. WALLACE: I have an unusual situation in that my best girlfriend has a guy who has been her close friend for nearly five years now. They hang out together occasionally, but they've never formally dated, and in fact most of those five years they have been simultaneously dating other people.

Because she knows him so well, I've crossed paths with him several times when I've spent time with her. Recently, he has shown more and more of an interest in me, so much so that he actually asked me out on a formal date last week.

I told him that I'm pretty busy for the rest of March but that I'd be happy to go out with him sometime within the first 10 days of April.

I plan to tell my best friend about this quite soon, since I don't want her to find out about it after I've already dated him. Do you feel it's wise for me to follow through on this date, or should I consider canceling it because they're such good friends? Like I said, they've never actually dated each other, so when I accepted his offer at that moment, I didn't feel that there was anything wrong with doing so. What's your opinion on this matter? — He Asked and I Said Yes, via email

HE ASKED AND I SAID YES: In my opinion, I feel it's fine that you do go out on this date. Be sure to tell your girlfriend about this in person as quickly as possible. Do not send her a text, email or leave her a voicemail on her phone. This type of discussion could be sensitive and you would be best served to do it in person one-on-one with her at what you feel would be an appropriate time.

Let her know that you respect her friendship with him, and that's the reason you wanted to disclose this to her well in advance of the actual date. I don't feel as though you need to ask her for her permission, since the two of them have never formally dated. But since she is such a good friend of yours, and he is also such a good friend of hers, common sense dictates that you approach this matter in a forthright manner with as much sensitivity as possible given these unusual circumstances.

I FEEL I CAUSED MY PARENTS TO SPLIT UP

DR. WALLACE: I'm a girl who is 15 and I'm very unhappy, since I've learned my parents are planning to get a divorce sometime this summer. I feel like I may have been responsible for this happening, since there were several times that I asked my mother for permission to do something or to go somewhere, and when she would say no, I would go ask my father and many times he would allow me to go.

This thing led to several shouting matches between my parents, and sometimes they got really angry at each other. I really don't want my parents to get divorced, and I wish I could turn back time and just forget about those events and outings that I wanted to attend, since they seem to be the basis for all the trouble between my parents.

I actually tried to apologize to both of my parents this past weekend, and I asked them to not get divorced, but they both told me they're still planning to go their separate ways. Do you think there is anything I can do to help bring them back together? — I Feel Responsible, via email

I FEEL RESPONSIBLE: First of all, children are not to blame when parents split up and divorce. There are always a multitude of issues that lead to divorce, some of which you'll likely never know, and we'll be better off not knowing anyhow. So do not feel as if anything you did caused this situation. Your parents are planning to separate because they feel they are incompatible at this point in time, not because you asked each of them for permission and sometimes received opposite answers.

Divorce is extremely sad for everyone involved, but it can especially have a traumatic effect on children. I feel bad for you and your entire family and would advise you to do your best to stay positive and cheerful around each of your parents individually and collectively when they're both in your presence.

Also, remember that it's better to speak about these things with each of your parents directly rather than to hold them inside, and if you have specific questions, by all means, now is the time to ask them. Knowing the answer is better than sitting and worrying about what may or may not happen in the future.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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