The truth usually hurts once. A lie keeps hurting every time it comes up.

A hard truth has a cost you pay in one sitting. A lie spreads the cost out, charging you a little every time the subject comes near, every time someone mentions it, every time you have to recall which version you told. The pain of honesty is sharp and finite. The pain of covering is dull and renewable.

If something true has been sitting in your throat, say it this week to the one person who needs to hear it. Keep it short, since explanations are where the softening creeps in. If you are already carrying a version that is not quite right, correcting it now costs less than later.