Hmmm... about 2 years. I was kidnapped door pirates and he rescued me, then I met Gabriel a maand later. We kinda just started talking meer after that. I also did the same thing Devynn did, with the getting-signs-after-believing-and-doing-research thing
Well for me he watched me for about 5 years, then when I realized he was real, I started getting signs the meer I researched him. He finally talked to me the night he stal my journal.