I have met these two ladies, Yara and Kate, with both being about half my age. Now Kate, I think, is chronologically younger, but Yara is younger in many other ways. Yara tends to be a bit insecure, and I don’t want to disappoint her. I certainly don’t want to see either crushed, especially now, when both are going through some rough times. At present Yara thinks of me as a surrogate father, while Kate apparently thinks of me as an uncle.
So how do I assure both that each is my friend, and that being friends with the other does not change that? If you have any advice you can leave it in comments. I think I can work something out, but I could use some help.