Bernadette and Veronica today

Bernadette recalls that her daughter Vernonica was abit of a tearaway as a toddler. "She required two guardian angels". She always had to keep an eye on Vernonica when they were out and about.

When Veronica was about two and her sister Mary three, Bernadette and her sister Jo, took them shopping in Dublin. They wandered round the shops, and at one point Bernadette let go of Veronica's hand for a few seconds, during which time the toddler disappeared. Bernadette wasn't too worried at first, thinking that Veronica was easily spotted in a bright red outfit and the shop was quite small.

Bernadette grew more anxious, and Jo dashed round looking for Veronica. Eventually Jo caught up with Veronica outside the shop, having crossed a busy street. When Jo reached her a woman was holding her hand, and they were standing in a bus queue. Bernadette and Jo were both ashen-faced by that time, though Veronica was completely unperterbed. Neither Bernadette nor Jo went out to speak to the woman and Bernadetter admits that they suspected the worst - that the woman was trying to abduct Veronica. In her relief at finding Veronica, Jo did not take much notice of the woman.

Two or three years later, Jo was talking to a neighbour at the grocer's. Her neighbour was taking her baby out of his pushchair to take him into the shop with her, and Jo wondered aloud if he wouldn't be okay to remain in the pushchair. Her neighbour said she'd take him in just to be on the safe side, which prompted Jo to tell her the story of Veronica's almost-abduction. She noticed the neighbour smiling, which she thought was strange, but when she'd finished the story the neighbour, Anne, said "I was that woman". She had apparently seen Veronica dash out of the shop and dart about, and felt it was safer to take her hand and wait, assuming that an adult would shortly follow.

That Christmas Bernadette bought Anne a present and put a card inside to say "To my second guardian angel, with love and thank you from Veronica".