BlueSkies, NPD is a lifetime issue. It can't be cured.
What bugs me is that he really does make an effort with our son despite his jealousy of his own kid, if that makes sense. He tries to spend time with him, he makes an effort in many ways, and sometimes I feel that it conflicts with NPD as I understand it. Even AH has said that he doesn't understand himself at times, like he's constantly fighting demons inside himself when really his intentions are good.
Good intentions with NPDs are usually short-lived, and really about his own self-image -- or maintenance of a "human face" -- more than it is about the recipient of his good deeds. A lot of the time, NPDs do things because they think they're supposed to, and because it gets them good attention. A lot of the time, they say all the right things but do something else entirely.