Position eliminated, offered to apply for another role.

Hello all - they say always trust your gut. And I got that gut feeling yesterday and sure enough walked into my 1:1 with my manager and an HR rep there. My position is being eliminated. However, they want me to apply for an entirely different position in an entirely different department.

My first thought was “huh?” But then they said I would be replacing someone who resigned recently and the job has not even been posted yet. If all goes well, I’d literally start in my new role by next Tuesday. HR rep said she can’t guarantee anything but everyone very strongly wants me to get this role and to work out.

Same pay, same benefits. The big concern for me is I am going on paternity leave in March and she assured me that this new role wouldn’t change that. My thought is apply for this role (have an interview with the hiring manager tomorrow), hopefully get the job, and then just make it to my paternity leave in 3 months (6 weeks fully paid, 6 FML) and just figure out what I want to do from there.

Maybe I’ll like the new position? Still it’s three weeks before Christmas and I’ll never forget this, although they’re giving me a streamline to a new position at the same pay.

Any advice?