 Daniel shows himself to actually be a very competent parent figure to Orel, including buying him hot chocolate, teaching him to ice-skate without his crutch, and even decorating a Christmas tree.In an insightful moment, Daniel tells a despondent Orel that if Clay has anything worth honoring, it is the fact that he created Orel.Near the end, when Clay (through Orel) finally admits his feelings for Daniel, Daniel coldly refuses him, having finally realized how shallow and pathetic Clay is.