Reaching out for a cancer who went to his shell?

So this cancer guy had gone through a major trauma, he lost his father, I was there for him in the first couple of weeks, but since we are not together or anything after a while I took my distance, he texted me once asking to see me but I did not meet him right away I met him a week later. Then he disappeared again and so did I. When I texted him last week he was so excited to hear from me and told me again that he wants to see me. But then poof nothing never contacted me.

Is is a shell thing because he's grieving or simply he's not that interested so he's just going with the flow?

Should I initiate another time and actually see him or let him approach me?

Thanks 🙂