Say sorry while they’re still around to hear it. Late apologies echo in empty rooms.

An apology is for the other person, which means it has to reach them to do its job. Held too long, it turns into something you carry rather than something that repairs anything, and eventually there is nobody left to give it to. The delay is usually pride mixed with not knowing how to begin.

Say the first sentence badly rather than waiting to say it well. No explanation of your reasoning, no request for anything back, just an acknowledgement that you got it wrong. Whatever they do with it, the thing has been handed over.