@hawkeye10,
Wow, this conversation took quite the turn.
I think there's quite a difference between a cat and the man that practically raised the guy. Considering we had just met, I think it would be strange of him to say, "hey I'm an emotional mess, come get tangled in it." I immediately gained respect for him, realizing that this was the mature thing to do. If my mother died right now, I wouldn't be able to think about a relationship. I'd want all of my outside world to stop including dating so I could catch my breath which is what I think he was doing. People grieve in their own way and I don't think a death in the family is the right time to judge whether someone is boyfriend material. There's a difference between grieving and emotional unavailability.
While I'm not going to be sitting by the phone, I don't think I have any reason to feel like I dodged a bullet either. It would make it easier to forget him, but I know I will with time.
Thanks for your advice, not so sure it was worth the heated throat-to-throat that came near the end, but I appreciate the amount of thought that was put into my issue.
Best,
Emme