I saw this quote today--Justice is when you get what you deserve.
Mercy is when you don't get what you deserve.
Grace is when you get what you don't deserve.
Sometimes the one who messed up can shift a situation by saying sorry. But sometimes the one wronged can shift it just by their own grace and wisdom, without the person saying sorry, just by growing in grace such that the person's "fault" is seen in a different light.
~Susan