Her depression returned with the onset of winter; a deeper, darker cloud than she had previously experienced, and one that enveloped every waking hour and invaded the narrative of her dreams. Anna"s doctor diagnosed clinical depression and prescribed a low-dose anti-depressant. The pills helped, improving her mood and appetite, but insomnia remained a problem, taunting her attempts to restore her mental health. Permanently weary, she struggled to maintain her workday routine, the new novel advancing in fits and starts due to interruptions for snatches of sleep. Minor household issues began to irritate her – empty beer bottles left beside a family room chair, Adam"s unmade bed, smelly socks left in shoes. Nagging became the focal point of her every conversation, with her husband and son try
