Such a long title.
Basically I’m wondering if this happens IRL, and how. I’ve heard countless stories of people who hold a grudge against family members /ex partners/ ex friends/ neighbours etc. for years, and they do horrible things to each other. Or maybe just the cold shoulder can be rough especially for such a long time. But not so many stories of people in these situations who suddenly talk things out unexpectedly, out of their own will and not because they kept getting nagged about whatever happened.
I’ve also heard about people who screw up big once, never acknowledge or apologize, then everyone puts the episode behind and moves on. But I’ve never heard about suddenly this person perhaps decades afterwards just actually addressing their screw up and apologizing.
So, have you ever received one of these big, unexpected apologies? Or have you ever apologized for something you did you never thought you would want or dare to apologize for?
I once had someone explain they were interested in me years ago, and although it wasn’t an apology (which would have been nice to get, he was an absolute dick at times), it helped me recalibrate how I thought about myself.
So I I don’t know about your particular circumstances, it does sound like it’s been too long to apologize for something that can be taken as shyness. But maybe explaining the whys can help this other person, I don’t know.