Steve, you are correct, I was replying to your comment just as I am doing this one. You should be aware that if It is a deleted comment that you replied to before deletion (don't think you can see or reply to a comment that has already been deleted) then most mods will also delete any other posts that quote it or mention it.
There should be no confusion at all when replying to a person immediately above you in a thread. As has already happened earlier, if another post or two come in between, most members can make the proper connection and do not get confused.
Barney