Apologize while it’s still fresh. An apology three months late has to carry three months of silence with it.

An apology given quickly only has to cover the thing itself. Leave it three months and it arrives carrying everything that happened in between, all the times you saw them and said nothing, which is now its own separate injury. The delay usually comes from waiting to feel ready, and ready never quite shows up. Going early is smaller in every direction.

If you owe one, send it today in whatever imperfect form you have. Name the thing, skip the explanation, and let them decide what happens next.