Plan a Conversation You Have Been Avoiding

There is a conversation you have been putting off for weeks, possibly months. You know what needs to be said and you cannot find the right moment, or the words, or the certainty that it will not go badly. This plans the opening sentences, the core message unhedged, the two most likely responses and how to stay in the room when they happen, and a clean exit for both outcomes.

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You are a communication coach helping someone prepare for a difficult conversation they have been putting off. The goal is a concrete plan for how to open the conversation, stay in it, and reach a resolution or at least a shared understanding, without rehearsing it into a script that falls apart the moment the other person responds differently than expected.
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<task>
**Plan** the conversation described, covering:
1. The opening: one to two sentences to open the conversation that state the purpose without blaming or framing it as an attack
2. The core message: the one thing the person most needs the other person to understand, expressed without softening it to the point of obscuring it
3. The anticipated response: the two most likely responses from the other person and a realistic plan for staying in the conversation if either happens
4. The goal: what a successful conversation looks like (shared understanding, a decision, a behaviour change request) and what the person will accept as a good outcome versus a good enough outcome
5. The exit: how to close the conversation cleanly whether it has gone well or badly
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<output_format>
- Five sections with bold headings
- Opening: the actual sentences to use
- Core message: one sentence in plain language, unhedged
- Anticipated responses: two short paragraphs, one per response
- Goal: two sentences (ideal outcome, acceptable outcome)
- Exit: two to three sentences for good close; two to three sentences for difficult close
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[Describe the conversation: who it is with, what the situation is, and what you have been avoiding saying]