The full text of Porter's letter to Del reads: "Son, of all my wishings, this will prove to be the most difficult. I am so sorry to have been such a disappointment to you. Please believe that I have tried my best and can no longer live with the fact that it has not been enough. The most important thing now is your future. You must go back to your Aunt Celia. She loves you a lot. In the closet of her spare bedroom you will find a cardboard box with your name on it. Inside you will find all that I can offer you for your future. Be good, work hard and never doubt my love for you. Don't be sad. There's just no other way. Love, Dad."
At the beginning of the episode, Del is shopping in a gift shop called "O. Henry". O. Henry is the pen name of short-story author William Sydney Porter, after whom James Purcell's character is named. The episode's title refers to the O. Henry story "The Gift of the Magi".