18-month gap on my resume from caregiving — do you address it upfront or wait for them to ask?

I stepped away from work for a year and a half to care for a parent. Now I'm interviewing again and I can feel that gap just sitting there on the page.

Some advice says add a one-line "Career break (caregiving)" entry so it isn't a mystery. Other advice says never explain it unless you're asked. I don't want to sound defensive, but I also don't want a recruiter quietly filtering me out before we ever talk.

Has anyone navigated a real gap recently? What actually landed well with the people interviewing you?