Any way to have a blank column for {n} with --preview?

[bschlenk]

I have a git branch switcher built using fzf, and it shows an optional icon before the branch name to represent things like the branch has been pushed to github, or the branch is open on a separate worktree. Sometimes there is no icon.

I have fzf set up with --preview "git diff --color main...{2}" so it shows the commits in the preview. The issue is that my first column is optional, and so for rows that have an icon, {2} correctly picks the sha. But for rows without an icon, it would wind up picking the column after the sha because the leading 2 spaces are trimmed.

I've been working around this up until now by using the unicode character \u00ad for blank icons, which just happens to be invisible, take up 1 character width, but not treated as whitespace. However, after some vscode updates, that character no longer takes up space and I have this ragged edge.

Is there a supported way to render a "blank" column that isn't just trimmed off as whitespace?

[bschlenk]

Wound up switching to \u2800 (Braille pattern blank) which should always render blank but not be treated as whitespace.