Edit: NOTE, I am the receiver of the texts.
So many people asking me to have my wife do something different on her end.
Beloved, she is on iPhone because she doesn't want to do anything "weird." She is texting from her phone number using her texting app. That's what's going to happen.
Now, why can't I get iMessage on my android phone? If it's just a messenger app why not make it available for Android?
I'd use it.
Use Whatsapp or another 3rd party messenger. It's annoying but an easy solution.
WhatsApp is the opposite of annoying, that's why the entire planet uses it, except U.S. Americans for some reason