At this point in my life, there was really no need to keep a low profile. I smiled gently and said casually, "I used to work, then stayed home full-time with my kid, and now—because of a bunch of reasons—I'm back at it."

"Oh, that makes sense," she replied.

As soon as my identity was confirmed, the whole vibe shifted. The adult world is more complicated than a child's, but it's also more straightforward. Out there in the real world, I count as someone ...