This was not how Tom Cruise expected his life to be. 
 
 The 50-year-old megastar, who was blindsided when his wife of five years, Katie Holmes, filed for divorce on June 28, “was thinking, ‘What did I not see?’ ” a source who knows the former couple tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story. 
 
 Especially tough: His month-long separation from 6-year-old daughter Suri, which finally ended when the pair reunited on July 17 in New York City. 
 
 What took so long? 
 
 PHOTOS: The Holmes-Cruise Family in Happier Times 
 
 “He’s wanted to see her as fast as possible since this started,” says a source, who cites Cruise’s obligation to his sci-fi thriller Oblivion as the main obstacle. “He couldn’t shut down production, cost people their jobs. People count on him.” 
 
 In agreeing to a divorce settlement in a mere 11 days, “Tom tried his best to do what’s right for Suri,” according to his longtime friend and lawyer Bert Fields, who says the star is “sad” but not “bitter” about the situation. 
 
 Cruise has been leaning on his older children, Connor, 17, and Isabella, 19, his three sisters and his mother – all of whom share his Scientology religion. Several members of his family joined him for support as he filmed his final scenes for Oblivion. 
 
 “Tom is not ashamed of his beliefs,” says the source, who knows the former couple, “and won t hide them from his daughter.” 
 
 For much more on this story, including details on Tom’s trusted inner circle, how he s coping and Holmes’s new life, pick up the new issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday 
 
 Tom & Katie’s 1st Year of Marriage ||||| Tom Cruise Reunites with Suri 
 
 Exclusive Details 
 
 We're told Tom is taking Suri to Chelsea Piers later today for her gymnastics lesson. As for how Tom picked Suri up ... we're told he went to Katie's apartment, but he never saw his soon-to-be ex-wife. He was inside the apartment for less than 5 minutes.has reunited with his daughter for the first time sincefiled for divorce last month.Tom wrapped his latest movie shoot and flew to New York City, where we're told he'll be spending several days with his 6-year-old daughter. This pic (above) shows Tom carrying Suri into The Greenwich Hotel.Sources tell TMZ ... Tom will have no contact with Katie.will be picked up and taken back with the help of intermediaries.The picture (below) shows Tom's sister, Cass, bearing gifts as she enters the hotel.We're told Tom is "sad but not bitter" about the way things have gone down. Nevertheless, it looks like there is radio silence between Tom and Katie. ||||| In never-before-seen photos obtained exclusively by, a doe-eyedposes for her first photo shoot as a chubby-faced teen in her native Ohio. Little did she know her dreams of stardom and marrying her teenage crush — Tom Cruise – would come true just 10 years later. 
 
 That fairytale has famously come to an end after Holmes, 33, rocked Hollywood with the bombshell she was divorcing her Mission: Impossible husband of almost six years. The two reached a divorce settlement less than two weeks later. 
 
 In the wake of the split, Celebuzz visited Holmes’ hometown of Toledo in an attempt to shed some light on how a once care-free, all-American girl became part of one of Hollywood’s most controversial couples. There, Holmes’ school friends broke their age-old silence, telling Celebuzz their thoughts about the famous duo. 
 
 Angela Domschot, a former classmate of Holmes at the $18,000-a-year private Catholic school, Notre Dame Academy, said that Holmes used to pray for Cruise — years before she ever met him. 
 
 “In religion class, when we were about 16, we would have to say prayers to keep a certain someone safe and out of harm,” she said. “Katie would say it for Tom Cruise. We did that every day, so she would have said thousands of prayers for him. 
 
 “She also had a secret picture of him hidden in the inside of her text books. It’s crazy to think she married him – it was her dream come true.” 
 
 Similarly, Kari Somo, 32, another old school friend, also remembers Holmes’ affinity for Cruise. 
 
 “Tom Cruise was always her crush at school, who she wanted to marry and end up with,” she said. 
 
 But seeing their old friend getting involved with Scientology was bizarre, according to Domschot. 
 
 “We were all shocked when she turned to Scientology, but when you’re besotted with someone, I guess you’ll do what they want,” she said. “Her dream came true… she got her fairytale ending, I guess.” 
 
 Aside from her unusual focus on Cruise, Holmes – who aspired to be an actress from a young age – is remembered for other things. 
 
 She was well-liked and loved to act, said Domschot, as can be seen in these never-before-seen photos of the budding starlet, above. As the pictures reveal, Holmes was very involved in school, be it clowning around in plays, dressing in wacky costumes or looking angelic and studious in her yearbook photos. 
 
 “Katie was popular at school but nice to everyone,” Domschot, now a Toledo police officer, said. “She was a very good person… athletic, really into the school plays, very hard-working. She was really nice and outgoing. Really smart – in all subjects – but not arrogant with it.” 
 
 That isn’t all. Said Domschot: “Katie had a rebel side too — she knew how to let loose. She’d get into food fights at school.” 
 
 And Somo recalls a particularly festive Holmes. “I remember her having the craziest Halloween costumes,” she said. “She once dressed up as Richard Simmons and David Letterman! 
 
 Her dating life, meanwhile, wasn’t as exciting. 
 
 “I don’t think she dated in high school,” said Somo. “Her parents were super-strict and Catholic, so it may have been hard.” 
 
 Holmes and Cruise managed to avoid their dream turning into a total nightmare on June 9, when they came to a quick divorce settlement — and agreed on how custody of their six-year-old daughter Suri will be shared. 
 
 Details of the divorce remain confidential, and the pair released a joint statement indicating they intend to keep it that way. 
 
 Said the two: “We want to keep matters affecting our family private and express our respect for each other’s commitment to each of our respective beliefs and support each other’s roles as parents.” 
 
 Celebuzz Single Player No Autoplay (CORE) 
 
 No changes are to be made to this player ||||| Tom Cruise & Suri Daddy Chauffeur Reporting for Duty 
 
 Breaking News 
 
 looked just like any other dad -- who's world famous and watched by dozens of paparazzi -- as he took his daughter to gymnastics moments ago in NYC.had her head buried in Tom's shoulder as they left the Greenwich Hotel, and walked through a gauntlet of photogs and fans to get to their SUV.Cameras were also waiting as they arrived a few minutes later at Chelsea Piers for Suri's gymnastics class.Father and daughter had a full day of QT to catch up at his hotel room . Lots to talk about! ||||| By Radar Staff 
 
 In the wake of Katie Holmes‘ split from hubby Tom Cruise, speculation is building as to who will be the next Mrs. Tom Cruise, and it just might be Yolanda Pecoraro. 
 
 Experts predict the 27-year-old Latin beauty will be the perfect match for the Mission: Impossible star because she’s a devout Scientologist — and the two dated in the past! 
 
 “Tom’s next marriage will be inside the church,” Scientology expert Margery Wakefield told the National Enquirer. 
 
 PHOTOS: Tom Cruise Reunites With Suri In NYC 
 
 A former member of the church told the Enquirer that Yolanda is a “Scientology princess, perfect for Tom,” both her parents were members and that she’s been taking Scientology courses since she was just 13 years old. 
 
 Yolanda lives in a modest Silver Lake, Calif. apartment and told the Enquirer, “Yes, I knew and still know Tom Cruise. And no, I’m not married or engaged.” 
 
 Andrew Morton‘s unauthorized Tom tell-all, Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography claims that Yolanda and Tom met at the opening of a new Scientology center opening in Spain in 2004 and that he fell head over heels for her. 
 
 PHOTOS: Tom Cruise Jets Out Of Mammoth Lakes After Wrapping Oblivion 
 
 In fact, there’s even a photo of Scientology head David Miscavige, David and Victoria Beckham, and Tom and Yolanda all together at a Madrid soccer game just one month later. 
 
 One source goes so far as to tell the Enquirer that Tom has paid for Yolanda to attend expensive Scientology courses at the Celebrity Centre in Hollywood! 
 
 And even though Yolanda lives with a boyfriend, also a Scientologist, an insider claims the church will do whatever it takes to provide damage control to the very public divorce between Tom and Katie. 
 
 PHOTOS: Sad Suri Cruise Steps Out With Mom Katie Holmes 
 
 “With the embarrassment his divorce has caused the church, they want to stabilize the situation quickly,” the source said. 
 
 “They also want to show that Tom has rebounded fast and that his new wife is beautiful and steeped in Scientology. If the church decides to make Yolanda Tom’s next wife, they’d certainly want her to have a child soon. So she could quickly be going from her modest apartment to a mansion in Beverly Hills with a baby on the way. And there’s little doubt she’d do what’s best for the church.” 
 
 To get all the details on the behind-the-scenes matchmaking between Tom and Yolando, get the new issue of the National Enquirer on newsstands Friday. 
 
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– The Church of Scientology just gets creepier and creepier: Now insiders tell the National Enquirer that Scientology bigwigs will probably choose Tom Cruise's next lady friend, Radar reports. "Tom's next marriage will be inside the church," says one expert. The main contender is Yolanda Pecoraro, 27, whom Radar refers to as a "Latin beauty." A former Scientologist calls her a "Scientology princess," noting that she was raised in the church, and rumor has it she even dated Tom back in 2004—there's at least one photo of them together (with the Beckhams, no less), and Cruise supposedly paid for Pecoraro to attend Scientology courses at the Hollywood Celebrity Centre. She currently lives with a boyfriend, but that's no obstacle for the church—an insider says it will do anything to "stabilize the situation quickly," showing that "Tom has rebounded fast and … his new wife is beautiful and steeped in Scientology." More on the Cruise-Katie Holmes divorce: Cruise finally saw daughter Suri yesterday in New York, but didn't see Holmes, TMZ reports. Click to see video of the father and daughter, who hadn't seen each other in a month. A longtime friend tells People Cruise is "sad" but not "bitter" about the divorce. Another source says that when Holmes filed for divorce, he "was thinking, 'What did I not see?'" A young Holmes used to pray for Cruise every day, and had pictures of him hidden in her textbooks, a former classmate tells Celebuzz. "In religion class, when we were about 16, we would have to say prayers to keep a certain someone safe and out of harm," she says. "Katie would say it for Tom Cruise. We did that every day, so she would have said thousands of prayers for him." Click for more, including never-before-published photos of a teenage Holmes.