Co-op not working, help figure out what's wrong? [PS5]

On PS5, friend is also on PS5. I'm lvl 16, he is lvl 100+ I'm in front of Vordt boss area, but no fog wall yet because I haven't triggered the cutscene yet. We are both embered, we are both online. We have our passwords set to match. I put my white soapstone summon sign down, but he can't see it. We've tried at "Tower on the Wall" and "High Wall of Lothric" bonfires and nada. So getting close to the next boss has been out last ditch effort.

Any ideas why it's not working? Level gap shouldn't be an issue for co-op right? Matchmaking: ON, Password matching, summon sign visibility: unrestricted, voice chat: allowed, player name display: online ID, launch settings: play online.

Thanks so much for your help and any ideas you might have. 🙏☀️