An Ode to Stardust
Novelette 15,100 words Recommended by 3 award/anthology sources
"My cat hops up to his favorite spot by the window to observe the nebula, the pitter-patter of his paws and the low hum-rumble of the engine the only sounds in the room. Misty tendrils amble past, glimmering and cloudlike, carrying an entire medley of warm hues, and his black coat is gilded with a lambent pink."
Content warnings 1
death
Quasar links out; the story lives on Clarkesworld, where the author gets the click.