That plan backfired nicely, and instead of helping bring him out of his shell she felt like she chased him back in it. Like an oyster who sensed someone swimming nearby. Sipping at her tea and inwardly chastising herself--though she tried not to, everyone was wrong sometimes--she gave him a moment to find his own words.
It paid off, in an abrupt unveiling of an uncomfortable secret, "Were you close?" This was not the first time those words had come from that chair, sometimes it was filled with shock, sometimes depression, and often a challenge. From Bucky though it was hard to tell, and she didn't get the impression of any of those things. In fact, she wasn't sure he knew how he felt about it.